Tag Archives: Currently Reading

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I was on vacation the last two weeks, coming back to summer. Although we were at Disney World, with all the busyness that suggests, I did read a lot.

The Unsettling Crime . . . by Terry Shames was the first of her books I read. And it was very very good. So good I have already ordered the first one in the series.

In this one, Craddock, a very young lawman in Texas, gets pulled into the execution style murders of a black family squatting nearby. No one will talk to him, When a friend from ‘Darktown’ is arrested by another agency, Craddock jumps in with both feet to free the innocent man and see justice done. A+

Another excellent mystery is Deborah Crombie’s A Killing of Innocents.

A young woman, a doctor in training, hurries across London. A man bumps into her, and a few steps later Sasha collapses and dies on the sidewalk. Who could possibly want to kill her? The roots of the crime are hidden in the past. Another stellar mystery.

Julia Kydd leaves London for New York City and her half-brother. Phillip controls her inheritance but she is due to receive it in a few weeks when she turns twenty-five. But Phillip has begun a legal case designed to show their father did not intend to leave half his estate to her. The murder of a suffragette offers Julia the chance to prove the death was murder and thus win a wager, and her inheritance, with her brother. Only the case proves much more involved than Julia could have guessed. Another great mystery.

Saffron Everleigh wants to be a botanist like her father but in the 1920s it is a struggle. But when her mentor, Dr. Maxwell, is accused of poisoning the wife of another academic, Saffron jumps in to prove his innocence, She almost dies trying. Light, frothy and with a dash of romance.

In 1920s Bangalore, the British are still a formidable presence. Kaveri’s husband Ramu is a doctor; they are invited to the Century Club for a mixed gathering. A man is found stabbed to death outside. That sends Kaveri on a hunt for the murderer.

Charming, joyful, exotic. I loved this book.

Finally, I read number fourteen of the Hannah Ives series and it is another winner. Hannah and her husband Paul buy a small cottage on the shore, While the renovations are going on, the mummified corpse of a baby is found hidden in the chimney. Hannah begins investigating, trying to determine the identity of the baby and understand exactly what happened. One of Talley’s strengths is weaving in serious subjects (in this case, racism) and still keeping the book fun and not too dark.

On to fifteen.

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Last week I read Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings.

When Violet Manville’s Aunt Adelia leaves, she bequeaths her role as advice columnist Miss Hermione to Violet. One of the letters leads Violet into the death of one of the correspondents, Ivy Armstrong. At the same time, her sister Sephora is engaged in a very unsuitable relationship with Franklin.

Similar to some of the mysteries by Georgette Heyer.

Although I guessed the solution about halfway through, I didn’t mind. I thoroughly enjoyed this charming cozy mystery,

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This week I read Tomorrow’s Vengeance by Marcia Talley.

In the thirteenth Hannah Ives mysteries, Hannah volunteers at an assisted living home. (It is more like a resort than a residence, but I digress.) As she reads to the memory care residents and eats lunch in the dining room, she is embedded in the lives of the staff and people who live there, from the two lovebirds Nancy and Jerry to Christie with her thirty year old boyfriend, and Izzy, survivor of Nazi Italy.

Then one of the townhouse residents, Masud, is found dead in the Tranquility Garden. Hannah is well positioned to delve into the mystery. The murder, the theft of Jewish artworks , and the restrictions of the residents are stirred into a captivating whole.

Marcia Talley rarely disappoints, Even though the murder frequently does not occur until the halfway point or beyond, I almost don’t care. The characters and their situations are so interesting I am always fascinated. Her easy relaxed style also makes for a fast read. Another winner.

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This week I read Bombay Monsoon by James W. Siskin.

I have read several of his Ellie Stone mysteries and enjoyed them greatly. I found this book puzzling. I kept expecting a murder but the mysterious death happens well into the novel. I finally decided this stand-a-lone is not a mystery per se.

Danny Jacobs is a journalist in India in 1975. He meets his enigmatic neighbor Willie Smets and promptly falls for Sushmita, Willie’s lover. His feelings are reciprocated.

Danny begins working on a story involving a bomber but is stopped cold by the Emergency, a coup by Indira Gandhi and the arrival of a censor in the newsroom who cuts all the stories to ribbons before publication. Since I knew very little about this time period, particularly in India, the setting is fascinating.

Not a mystery but really good historical fiction.

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Another busy week now that tax season has begun. I only managed to read one book, Breaking the Circle by M.J. Trow.

Margaret Murray is an archaeologist who frequently consults with the Metropolitan Police on cases in Victorian England. In this outing, several mediums are found murdered with some unusual clue left behind; for example, a feather in the mouth or a tarot card crushed in one hand. Murray joins a local spiritualist group, with which the group had been affiliated, to dig up information. Few of the members are what they claim to be and someone does not like Murray poking around. One of the group’s members, who bears a close likeness to the archaeologist is found battered in the street.

Fortunately, Margaret Murray has a plan.

This is light but enjoyable. Just one note. This is the third mystery involving spiritualism I’ve read in a month. I guess it’s a thing?Breaking the Circle

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The first book I read this past week was Cliffs, the Journey’s of McGill Feighen by Kevin O’Donnell.

I didn’t realize it but this is the fourth of a series. However, I’ve had no trouble learning the backstory.

McGill is a Flinger, he teleports goods and people from world to world by envisioning a location in his mind. In Cliffs, a planet inhabited by an intelligent avian species, McGill is forced to involve himself in a a deadly plague spreading across the planet. I couldn’t help but draw analogies with COVID. Despite the lethal nature of the virus, the Rahmaians refuse to accept the danger or change any of their ways. Fun but scary too.

I also read Bootleggers and Beer Barons of the Prohibition Era. Entertainingly written, it is a good overview of the Prohibition Era (1920 – 1933). All the major players in bootlegging are here. Fun and informational,

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I read two books this past week (outside of the books I am using for research)

The first is Racing the Light by Robert Crais, number 19 of his long running Elvis Cole Joe Pike series.

Cole is hired by a wealthy woman to find her son, who has disappeared. He is a podcaster, investigating such topics as Area 51 and alien abduction. But when Cole begins his search, he discovers the story is not so simple. Josh has gotten involved in something serious and a gang of dangerous strangers are on his trail.

Fortunately, Cole has Joe Pike to help.

This series is neither cozy or noir. Although there are dark scenes, these are leavened with tender moments between Elvis, his lady love and her son Ben. Another winner.

I also read the eighth in the Jane Yellowrock series. This one is called Broken Soul.

Leo, the vampire master of New Orleans, has Jane checking security procedures in advance of a visit by the European vamps. He also has Gregoire teaching Jane the finer points of swordplay. During one such lesson, a creature made of light appears and attacks, not only Gregoire but Leo and Katie as well. What is this strange creature?

In the hunt for answers, Jane discovers Leo is hiding an important and dangerous secret in the lowest level of his compound.

Why do I enjoy these books so much? The closest I can come is that they hold the same appeal as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Like Buffy, the Jane Yellowrock is part supernatural, part mystery, part romance and of course, lots of adventure.

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The two books I read this past week were Serpent in Heaven, by Charlaine Harris, and The Precipice by Paul Doiron,

Serpent in Heaven is the fourth of the Ginnie Rose series.

This entry focuses on Felicia, half-sister to Lizbeth Rose. Felicia, who is a descendent of Gregor Rasputin, is one of those whose blood keeps the tsar alive. She is considered a charity case at the Rasputin school for magic users and is thought to have no magical ability. Then she is abducted and gradually, as the attempts to capture her increase, she is forced to rely on her own abilities to save herself as well as unravel the mystery of the kidnapping attempts.

The world created by Harris is amazing. I found Felicia a somewhat less interesting character than Lizbeth Rose but I expect she will grow. The ending of this fourth book felt unfinished so I suspect there will be other entries in this series.

The second book I read was The Precipice by Paul Doiron.

In this entry to the long running series, Mike Bowditch and his girlfriend Stacey search for missing hikers on the 100 mile trail in Maine. Needless to say, the search does not end well.

Bowditch is a fully fleshed out character but it is the setting that really shines. This is exactly how hiking in a Maine forest feels: the sharp climbs up steep hills, the roots that snake across a trail with the bark worn shiny from hiking boots, and always the climbing over the granite that underpins this state.

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This past week, I read only one book: Overboard by Sara Paretsky.

V.I. Warshawsky in trouble again.

On a morning run with her dogs, Vic discovers a young girl sheltering in a space between the rocks on the shore. She is very thin and pale and her legs are covered with burns. She says only one word: ngayi.

Suspecting that this is some immigrant girl who speaks only Hungarian, Vic has her sent to the hospital. But while a janitor, with some Hungarian, is questioning her another man enters the room as well. Shortly after, the girl runs away, and the janitor is found murdered.

Simultaneously, Vic is trying to look after a synagogue that has been the target of hateful graffiti and dealing with a troubled teen who ends up in her office.

The story is complex and Vic puts herself in danger several times, but it all comes together in a satisfying conclusion.

It is easy to understand why Paretsky has such a stellar reputation. Highly recommended.

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Since my husband and I spent a week in Paris, and with all the holidays, I have not had as much time to read.However, waiting in airports always provides some time.

I read the newest Owen Archer, The Fox in the Fold, by Candace Robb.

The death of a stone mason, found stripped naked in a field, brings Archer into contact with an old enemy bent on revenge and threatening Archer’s family. Totally immersive. Robb’s descriptions are woven into the story so adroitly that I felt as though I lived during that time. This novel also filled in some of the back story for Owen Archer at the same time it involved Archer’s children. Highly recommended.

Flavia Alba is the adopted daughter of Marcus Falco and Helen Justina. While her parents are away, Flavia is hired to investigate two strange deaths. Her investigation brings her into close contact with several acting troupes. The use of mythology (Greek to Roman) is used to good effect here, Flavia is an interesting detective, strong willed and determined. So far, this is my favorite of the series. Recommended.

I returned to one of my favorite series: Jane Yellowrock

A magic driven wind storm tears through Jane’s house, ripping off the door. One discovers Evan, Molly’s husband, outside and lobbying wind spells at her. Molly has disappeared. So, at the same time Jane is investigating a new vamp in town, she is trying to find Molly, who, they quickly discover, has been kidnapped. Jane finally comes to terms with her mission as vamp killer and she and Beast, given a chance to separate, choose to remain a hybrid. I don’t know how Hunter does it but this urban fantasy series remains fresh and captivating.

Finally, I read Pyramids of London. I picked it up as a ‘Best of” and it really is. The world building is simply amazing and besides the fantasy story, there is a murder mystery. Host is a new author for me but I will be reading others by her.

The murders of the Tenning children’s parents out them into the care of their aunt Adrienne. To investigate the murders, Adrienne sells herself to a vampire god-king. But she is inadvertently claimed by a totally different vampire and that totally changes the trajectory of her investigation..

This is a world where the Roman and Egyptian god-kings rule. Rome is beginning to take the lead because they own the energy source fulgite. Tiny Prytennia has to utilize every strategy at their command to survive. I did not see the end, or the final twist coming. Highly recommended.