An Invitation to Murder (Lady Katherine Regency Mysteries Book 1)

written by Leighann Dobbs and Harmony Williams
review from e-book

What a different time and life in Regency England. What an interesting story within the time of Regency! What a surprise that the main character is the daughter of an Earl and her heart's desire is to become a detective! I enjoyed reading this unique story with so much historical accuracy of the life and times. No wonder Lady Katherine wishes to escape the norm and become a detective like her father.

It is a time of invisibility of females as persons, a time of seeking "approved" marriages for young maidens and of course that means seeking a high society and rich suitor to marry them. Mothers pushing their daughters to marry well, often calling on matchmakers to arrange a perfect match, as in seeking title and wealth, never mind compatibility.

I loved the blossoming of Annie, as well as the compatibility of this particular pairing. Annie is the downtrodden believed by everyone to be the one no one would want for a wife yet she alone will marry well. I also found it hilarious how the system worked in those days! Matchmakers, mothers, daughters, Lords, Earls, Dukes, everybody wants to be part of the aristocracy, I would say mostly mothers for their daughters with no thought to what these men might really be like. Even more, they seem to switch around. Who is with who? Who would rather be with someone else? Love certainly doesn't seem to be a part of the picture. But what is the picture? Murder seems to play a pretty big part in all this. Why? Can Katherine find the murderer before anyone else is attacked? Or will she be the next victim. Lots of red herrings in this search for a murderer. For that matter, it's pretty "fishy" trying to find out who is where with maidens all changing partners.

Will Lady Katherine get her wish?

Island of Bones (Louis Kincaid) by P.J. Parrish

A plot as twisted and hidden as the tangled mangroves, suspenseful, dark, yet curiously entertaining.

This is my first visit to the world of Louis Kincaid, and what an adventure it was! With a sort of laid back beginning through to the final whirlwind, it truly kept my attention. A hurricane sweeps the Florida island where he lives and washes up what he originally believes to be a murdered baby's skull. It takes a new father only a quick glance to inform him that it is a newborn's skull and no murder. It also appears to be about 500 years old. Is this a portent of things to come? Will this innocent child connect the dots? For some reason, Kincaid has become very attached to this baby's skull and can't escape the thoughts about what could have caused it's death.

Once we really get into the book, we get into the world of missing girls, a strange privately owned island, a possible serial killer...but I'm getting ahead of myself. For the missing persons case, an unlikely relationship builds up between the new head detective and our private investigator, Louis Kincaid. Kincaid has been approached by a woman who wants him to follow her father, Frank Woods. She suspects him of killing the girl who has gone missing. With not much to go on, why would she hire a private detective for this vague premise? While watching her father, he finds him to be a very mild-mannered librarian. Following him seems a waste of time, he rarely changes his routine. But there are many questions.

The book suddenly takes off, having grabbed my attention thoroughly while following the whys and wherefores up until now. A connection is made to another island, the action and suspense begin to take on much more momentum, adrenaline flows and so does mine as I read. An ancient Roman/Spanish family tree, Asturian descendents who often speak in Latin, owners and protectors of the island Away So Far, a misnomer based on the Spanish for Island of Bones, Isla de huesos. P.J. Parrish has done very deep research to back up this story line. The background is as much a character as any of the people. History, mystery, murder, and genetics all rolled into one strong story. Great characterizations, great twisting plot as twisted and hidden as the tangled mangroves, suspenseful, dark, yet curiously entertaining.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much - The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett

Reviewed for Edwards Magazine Book Club
Published by Penguin Canada

Allison Hoover Bartlett has written a remarkable piece on this true story of "World of Literary Obsession". The research is deep and personal; the reader becomes involved in the research through her words. This is her story almost as much as John Gilkey's, the book thief she is writing about. It all begins with a beautiful, nearly 400 year old book that has been brought to her by a friend who found it while clearing out a house. She believes the book was stolen which sets her off on a search of discovery about thefts of rare books, wondering if there might be a piece she, as a journalist, can use for an article. Unfortunately, by involving both herself and the reader in her research and interviews, the first part of the book becomes tedious at times.

The book really takes off when the chase to catch Gilkey begins. The sting set up progresses with the same intent as any other criminal chase, and indeed, antiquarian book thievery is no less criminal than the theft of fine art from a museum. In some cases of extremely old manuscripts, they are a work of art. The thief is an amazingly complex yet simple character. The in-depth interviews the author has with Gilkey are quite revealing and yet it is difficult to determine, even to the interviewer, what he really is revealing. When he is working at Saks with all its well-heeled customers, which he does every year around Christmas, he is secreting credit card slips (this at a time before electronic credit card machines, and there was a second slip of paper usually torn out and thrown away). This is how he "purchases" the books. Even prison sentences do not deter him because in his own mind he is not stealing, How much is he lying? His responses are contradictory at times but mostly he speaks as an authority on collectible books.

An intriguing non-fiction look into the antiquarian book world, both dealers and thieves, and how obsessive it can be. I did enjoy the book for the most part, but was disappointed in others. This is a book that many readers will find compelling and others may not be quite so satisfied. Definitely informative, however.

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: a Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale

Read Dec. 30, 2009

The author obviously has done in-depth research into not only the case itself, but into the mores, lifestyles, and beliefs of the time, even to the use of urine to clean wool in the mills.

Many terms in use in the mid-1800s are explained in current times as they are used, including those names given criminals and detectives. Charles Dickens' Bleak House featured the first detective in a novel, the story somewhat based on Whicher. Wilkie Collins also based some writings on this case.

There's a very interesting section on how Whicher became an undercover detective and how these investigators worked behind the scenes and were more or less undercover and invisible. This book is a very in-depth epistle, Kate Summerscale has made it easy to understand from a wording point of view, if not from the point of view of civilization. And who indeed could understand such an inhuman act although we do get a good look at the possibilities. A work of the time of women knowing their place, rich men taking advantage of their station in life, and where children were not the responsibility of a parent but of a stranger: governess, nursemaid, or other servant of the house.

This lurid crime becomes a scene of controversy on a large scale, and as such is made even more so by the press of the time. Nothing was sacred when it came to reporting, and everything is poked and prodded that would be expected of tabloid reporting today. There were no restrictions on the press, therefore speculation runs high and loud in the streets.

Summerscale takes us through Whicher's mind and method as he conducts many discussions, and his interpretation of the disappearance of a nightdress that may or may not have anything to do with the matter, it is simply a fact that it disappeared from the laundry, suspicious in nature for the fact that had it gone to the laundry as supposed, it may have had signs of blood on it, or it may have been innocent. Perhaps this was the original "red herring".

The culmination is that Whicher himself comes under fire and is made a laughing stock, bringing him down in the end. His theories are based on observations and appear to him and to the reader as correct but the country is too riled up to believe him.

This case became a turning point in the murder mystery genre and several fictional detective books were written in a manner closely related to Whicher and to this crime in particular. Once a suspect has been arrested and charged, the book turns to "what if?" It follows the continuing untangling of the skein of wool, leaving us wondering if the wool was pulled over our eyes. The case ruined many people, including the very detective who worked in such a clear manner but disturbed the balance of the classes. This is an interesting case and the author has handled the delivery well. There are many endnotes, references cited, and clarifications of text. I give this book 4 ½ stars on its content and handling of a difficult subject and will gladly read another book by Kate Summerscale.

The Copper Indian by J.P. Morgan, D. Min.

Originally posted Nov. 27, 2008
Reviewed for Front Street Reviews

I love this book. It takes place mostly in the 1950s and 60s, an interesting era. It feels so real, so personal, is funny and serious all at the same time. It reads like the memories of a Police/FBI veteran telling vignettes to perhaps a grandchild about his adventures and misadventures in his career. J.P. Morgan has almost forty years’ involvement in law enforcement at many levels so it is not unexpected that this book would present that kind of hominess that makes it feel personal. This however is a book of fiction, and you will be surprised to find out who is apparently telling the stories. Our main character, Jim Utze is an absolute delight as he spends his childhood onward following his hero “The Lone Ranger’s” code of ethics. Being part Pima he also is following Tonto from his (Tonto’s) earliest days before the Lone Ranger but growing up in the “paleface” world, the Lone Ranger is his main hero. His mother was from Ireland and Jim is raised mostly as a single child of a Catholic family. She would like to see him become a priest, but Jim has other plans.

College appears to him to be the answer to a compromise with his mother, but it is not long before he realizes he can’t afford to get through four years of college without more money. His father who had been in the war suggested that he go into the service (as long as he was at college he would not be drafted, but that would be redundant if he couldn’t continue anyway). He mentioned the GI Bill and suggested the Marines. For a young man who lived by the rules of the Lone Ranger, this was a first introduction into a world where he might have to actually kill someone. At the same time, his goal in life was to be a detective for the NYPD. He spends most of his time in the NYPD on the narcotics squad and must learn that you can’t always talk your way around problems. The plus is that he is paired up with equally likeable partners. Throughout his years of working, he continues with his college plans with the FBI as a part of the future.

He meets an Israeli airline security girl and although he is very interested and infatuated with her, he remains unsure of how trustworthy she is, and of just exactly who she is and what role she plays; something just does not seem to sit right. I will not give away the plot of why he feels this way, nor the many ways he avoids violence in his work but it is well-worth reading. The book ends with a few loose ends, or rather ends looking for another book. The Epilogue is fascinating and seems to bring promise of another installment of all these characters. I’m sure I will be first in line when it comes out! I was that immersed in the book and absolutely enjoyed it. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a dollop of humour with their dish of police interaction. 5 stars