Before I review my latest book, allow me to urge everyone to join he Fresh Fiction contest. You might win a copy of In the Shadow of the Bull
Plus a copy of A Simple Murder, the first Will Rees Mystery AND a gift card to Amazon.
Here is the link: https://gleam.io/Jghrh/eleanor-kuhns-september
With all the publicity I’ve been doing, I’ve only had time to read one book. The Ninja’s Oath by Tori Eldridge.
Lily Wong is a martial arts master. In this fourth one of the series, she travels to help Uncle, the cook in her father’s restaurant. Uncle was a gang member and is a pretty lethal fighter now. His granddaughter has been abducted and he needs Lily’s help in rescuing her.
I loved the descriptions of the setting – Shanghai. An old city of circuitous alleys and crumbling houses within a thoroughly modern city of high rises and affluence.
J Tran, the child soldier who intermittently assists Lily, makes an appearance just when he is needed most.
So fun. Plenty of action, an exotic setting and hitting of romance with the mystery. What could be better?
First, a note. My website went down on Friday for some as yet unknown reason. However, after a discussion with Bluehost, it is now working again. So, this is the blog I would have written on Thursday.
This Bronze Age civilization was the pinnacle of sophistication and culture in the Mediterranean. Their art – the paintings, mosaics, sculpture, jewelry – even their pottery – was much sought after. Excavations on mainland Greece, Turkey and Egypt have found remnants of these trade goods.
They were also noted for their textiles, especially a purple dye. The murals, sculptures, and sculptures reveal clothing dyed many colors. Indigo was known. (In fact, our name for this blue comes from the Greek name – which went into Latin – for Indian. The dye was originally exported from India. Madder was also known, although the Minoans also knew of the cochineal beetle for scarlet.
But the dye for which they are known is Tyrian purple, a deep color extracted from tens of thousands of murex snail shells. The dye was so expensive that it became known as Royal purple.
The one color they did not have was green unless they overdyed blue and yellow. A green dye was discovered in the 1800’s, but since it was made with copper arsenide, it was incredibly toxic.
This week I read the fifth in Charlaine Harris’s Gunnie Rose series: All the Dead shall weep.
The novel begins with a bang; the arrival of Lizbeth’s half-sister Felicia and Eli’s brother Peter. The very next day, a contingent of soldiers arrive in Segunda Mexia. Lizbeth and Felicia realize Peter and Eli have followed the soldiers so of course the women must pursue the men. Lizbeth and Felicia soon come upon the car Eli took, crashed and burning, and with a dead Comanche woman in the trunk. Now in a panic, Lizbeth and Felicia begin to hurry,
I really enjoy this series. It is a both fantasy and a mystery with engaging characters and lots of action.
The second book couldn’t be more different. Missing White Woman, by Kellye Garrett, will be released next April.
Bree is on a romantic weekend with her boyfriend Ty Franklin at an AirBnb in New Jersey. Posters of a young white woman are plastered all over the area. Bree pays little attention as she is too busy trying to lure Ty away from his work on the computer. He promises her a trip to Manhattan if she’ll let him work a little longer. When she returns from her run, he is missing and there is the dead body in the house. The police suspect her.
Garrett is one of my co-panelists on LJ’s Digital Day of Dialog on October 29. More details to follow.
What do we know about the cosmetics used by the women in Ancient Crete and the clothing they wore? Because we have no written records, archaeologists (and writers like me) are forced to rely on interpretations of murals, statuary and other art work.
Cosmetics were commonly used in the Ancient World: Egypt, the Middle Ages, and Asia. In Egypt and Mesopotamia, they were used by both men and women and all classes. Kohl was the most commonly used cosmetic. Kohl was made from galena, a dark gray ore and crushed charcoal, mixed with gum or water to make a paste. Cosmetics were so important cosmetic palettes were found buried in gold with the deceased’s grave goods.
Kohl was used for lining the eyes, like modern eyeliner. It offered health benefits in the form of protection from disease, bugs and sun rays. Red ochre clay was ground up and mixed with water to create a paste to paint on the lips and cheeks.
The murals also show the hairstyle fashionable at that time. Locks of hair were brought over the front of the shoulders. Most of the hair was drawn back from the forehead and decorated with pearls, gold beads or gems. Both sexes wore their hair in this manner.
Note in the graphic above the white ribbon at the back of the women’s necks. This was a sacral knot worn by the priestesses.
Finally, the murals and statuary depict a certain style of dress. All the women wear long skirts, usually ruffled or arranged in tiers, with a short short-sleeved jacket. Opinions vary about what women wore under the jacket. Were they nude or did they wear a blouse? It is difficult to tell from the artifacts available to us.
Below, a statue of a goddess or priestess holding snakes.
Minoan statue
Notice the elaborate belt around her wasp waist. Apparently, tiny waists were also the fashion and tight belts were worn to accentuate it. These wasp waists and tight belts were worn by men as well as by women.
This is the setting I use for In The Shadow of the Bull, a mystery set in Bronze Age Crete. Martis’s preference for more comfortable clothing, and only a loincloth when she is bull leaping, is frequently mentioned. As she grows up, she too adopts the tiered skirt with its tight belt and the short-sleeved jacket.
Chertsey Park is the fourth in the Sophie Burgoyne series by G. J. Bellamy.
In this outing, Sophie and her intrepid crew focus on the evil Stokely. Servants are requested from the Burgoyne Agency, giving Sophie and the others an opportunity to spy on Stokely.
Sophie’s investigations lead her into danger – from the police as well as from Stokely’s crew. While following one of his thugs, Sophie almost witnesses a murder, coming upon the body seconds after the murder has occurred.
When she is questioned by the police, Sophie refuses to give her name or any other pertinent information and ends up in a cell. Penrose has to give her a false name and spring her from jail.
This series is many things: a mystery, historical fiction, a spy thriller and it is all wrapped up in a cozy package.
I am home from the San Diego Boucheron. a bit jet lagged and tired. The blog is late going out since, when I arrived home in a storm, I discovered we had no power and no Internet. We limped along on generator and only just got the power back.
Bouchercon panels. – My first panel was the one I participated in. 20 panels in one. The audience put in questions that we then had to answer off the cuff. Not easy. Questions ranged from whether we authors outlined to what did we think of paranormal or romance in out books. Since none of us write either, this was a tough question.
My jacket was purple, not blue, by the way.
Besides the author interviews, previously discussed, I attended several panels. A historical panel, of course, with Susanna Calkins, Richard Korea, A.E. Wasserman Frances McNamara and Vanessa Riley. I found the panel on dealing with rejection interesting and helpful. Just for fun, I went to the panel on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, the so-called Ghosts of Honor. Lots of Fun.
Currently Reading
I read only one book: Dredemere Castle by G. J. Bellamy. This was the third in the Sophie Burgoyne series and it was fun!
Sophie and her bank of spies are hired to attend a large party at Dredemere Castle. A meeting between an Egyptian official and a British official to discuss Egypt’s autonomy is slated to occur at the same time as a large house party. Flora/Gladys takes the part of a lady, purporting to be wed to Lord Landlord, Ada is her maid and Sophie takes the part of chauffeur. It is expected by both the Home Office and the Foreign Office that Stokely will attempt to interrupt the talks and cause an international incident. Several of Stokely’s cronies are already in place; a known jewel thief is also on site.
As Bouchercon 2023 winds down, I wanted to mention some highlights.
We were met by the Book Room where we were allowed to select FREE BOOKS! I chose an Arc by Jason Pinter as well as some titles by new authors. I will have a lot of reading ahead since I bought quite a few books and I always try to read books by all of the authors I’ve met, seen on panels, and sometimes only heard about. Whew!
There were so many special moments, some of which I will address in future posts. West interviews with Ann Cleeves, author of the Vera series and its spin off Shetland, with Jimmy Perez; Jacqueline Winspear, author of the Maisie Dobbs series, and C.J. Box, author of the Joe Pickett series as well as many stand alone. My husband was beyond excited to meet and have Box’s new book signed.
So very happy to begin attending in-person events once again. I am already looking forward to Bouchercon 2024 in Nashville.
I will not be blogging on Monday, September 4. I’ll be in San Diego, for Bouchercon. Bouchercon is on of my favorite conferences and I try to make as many as I can. I also try to sign up for a panel. I’ve met other authors, some bestsellers, and many mystery readers that way.
This year, Ann Cleeves, one of my favorite authors, is a featured speaker. I can hardly wait.
I’m already planning to attend next year’s conference, in Nashville.
I’ve been to quite a few – all over the country. My first was in Cleveland and one of the events was held in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Very special. One was in New Orleans, not too long after Katrina. People were so grateful we were there. And New Orleans is such a wonderful city. Very exotic. One of the things I’ve learned is that every city has something special to offer.
This year’s conference is in San Diego with probably one of the best zoos, if not the best, in the country. My only fear is that the flooding from Hilary will cause problems!
First, a note. I will probably not post on Monday. I will be attending Bouchercon in San Diego. I hope I see some of you there.
The first book I read this week was Exiles by Jane Harper.
Aaron Fulk travels to southern Australia for the christening of an old friend’s baby. One year ago, Kim Gillespie tucked her sleeping baby into the carriage and disappeared. Several people claimed to have seen her walking around the festival grounds or riding the Ferris wheel. But no one has seen her since. No one saw her leaving by the front entrance or the back. The local cop is stumped.
As Aaron finds his way into the tight knit group, he discovers that all of them have secrets. The group is more fractured than it appears from the outside.
And Raco, Fulk’s good friend, is sure something is off about Kim’s disappearance. He keeps looking into it.
But it is Fulk, who comes to it with fresh eyes, who realizes the truth, not only for that case, for another cold case involving a hit and run. These cases also bring about a life changing decision for Aaron Fulk.
Although I found the beginning a little slow moving, by the time I was halfway I couldn’t put this book down. A great read!
The second book I read was Lies: Secrets can kill by Linda Lovely.
When the body of Dirk Black was fished out of the Mississippi River, The corrupt small town sheriff, Chief Dexter vows that Black’s wife Catherine will hang for the murder. She swears she’s innocent, and Dexter’s associate says he’ll help her. But Cat has plenty of secrets of her own, even if she didn’t murder her husband.
Some of the common tropes of detective fiction are present here: the corrupt small town sheriff, the beautiful blonde with secrets and the small Southern town. But the thirties setting and the appealing style shine. Recommended.
I finished Fatal Legacy, the new Flavia de Luce, and it was amazing. To recap: she’s hired to prove a so-called freedman is just that, not a slave. The determination of this is tied up with the question of who owns an orchard. No one can find the will from the original purchaser.
Well, the case grows more and more complicated with many characters and several plot threads. The elopement of Costa Sabatina with the young heir of the opposing family, gives Flavia the break in the case she needs to finally understand what happened and what the dispute is truly over.
A long ago murder, adultery, and the original question of who among the cast of characters is free are all parts of this intriguing story. Highly Recommended.
The second book I read is Death of a Fox by Linda Norlander.
This is the fourth in the cabin in the woods mysteries. In this one, Jamie is hired to write the memoirs of an elderly woman living alone in the ruins of an old TB hospital. Jamie quickly realizes that the job is bigger than she thought because of the number of secrets Nella is hiding. As Jamie reads through them, though, many of the secrets are revealed. This is a really interesting part of the book.
Two of Nella’s cousins have arrived, supposedly to care for Nella, but Jamie soon discovers they are looking for money. Judd, Bella’s half-brother, spent his later years grousing about how much Dr. Fox owed him, No surprise when one of the cousins is found dead in the old hospital.
To make the matter more complicated, Jamie’s husband Andrew turns up with plans to take half her cottage or otherwise squeeze money from her.
Originally, Linda Norlander saw this as a series of four. I have really enjoyed all of them and I hope she finds a way to continue. They are very enjoyable cozies with a appealing protagonist and an unusual setting.
