#10 in this mystery series, Abby Timberlake, owner of the Den of Antiquity antique store, fighting off some very high bidders, has purchased at auction the world's most beautiful birdcage. Built in the form of the Taj Mahal, it arrives with a mynah bird named Monet. Monet turns out to be quite a one bird show, he can not only voice obscure phrases but he can switch genders (in voice) without a break.
First Monet disappears, then people start to disappear. But if there is something about the birdcage that someone wants, why take the bird? Tamar Myers is well-known for her off-beat comic heroines in her series'. This almost tops it in content. Although maybe not quite as laugh out loud as earlier books, it is still giggly humorous. But then, after crashing a high society party, one of the main characters, who usually plays a truly priceless part for Abby to bounce off of so gleefully, is quickly among the missing.
This is how the story begins and Ms. Myers soon has us all embroiled in guessing and suspecting, also wondering why everything keeps coming back to the bird. There are serious accusations to sort out and downright hilarious ways in which four-foot-nine Abby goes about investigating. It takes her awhile to realize there is more to this crime than stealing the bird because she can't understand the phone calls she's getting. It's not really until she gets a package that fear takes over. Her friends the Rob-Bobs stay right with her almost every complaining step of the way... usually Rob complaining about Bob's "epicurean" cooking. All in all, another entertaining cozy mystery from Myers and certainly different.
Also see my review on Tamar Myer's Death of a Ruglord
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Bookmarked for Death, #2 in the Booktown series, by Lorna Barrett
In this second book of Lorna Barrett's Booktown series, Trisha is celebrating the anniversary of the opening of her bookstore in Stoneham. Stoneham has become a mecca for avid readers, the so-called Booktown, a result of the Chamber of Commerce inviting bookstores to move into an unfilled area of town, bringing in tourism and brighten up the town. Trisha is hosting a book signing for the one-and-only Stoneham celebrity in town, Zoe Carter, a hugely successful author. Toward the end of the event, Zoe is discovered by Tricia as a murder victim on her premises. Anyone who read book #1, "Murder is Binding", will recall that Sheriff Wendy Adams is definitely not friendly nor helpful toward Trisha and forces her out of her store for several days to do her "investigation". Trisha takes refuge in her sister Angelica's Cookbook store/living quarters.
With many people attending the event, there are of course many suspects to go through, and with Trisha anxious to get back into her home and store, and with lack of trust in the Sheriff, she begins her own investigation. During her investigation she finds out more than she wants to know about Zoe, her niece and assistant, friends, and acquaintances around town and soon draws special attention to herself in a near miss accident. The book has many twists and turns, as did Ms. Barrett's first book, and is an entertaining cozy read. It seems that every time Trisha thinks she is getting somewhere, someone else gets hurt with no apparent reason and that includes herself. I love the camaraderie of the booksellers and book clubs, the feel of small town unspoken separation between the originals and the newcomers is comical in its truth. I also got a kick out of the references to the Canada Goose problem around the town; anyone who has ever lived in their migratory route will certainly find the descriptions true to life and laughable in a "you have to laugh or you will cry" type of way. For a light-weight humourous read, fun yet focused, this series fits the bill. As a bonus there are some quick and easy yet tasty recipes at the back. 4 1/2 stars.
(Review revised Mar. 10/10)
With many people attending the event, there are of course many suspects to go through, and with Trisha anxious to get back into her home and store, and with lack of trust in the Sheriff, she begins her own investigation. During her investigation she finds out more than she wants to know about Zoe, her niece and assistant, friends, and acquaintances around town and soon draws special attention to herself in a near miss accident. The book has many twists and turns, as did Ms. Barrett's first book, and is an entertaining cozy read. It seems that every time Trisha thinks she is getting somewhere, someone else gets hurt with no apparent reason and that includes herself. I love the camaraderie of the booksellers and book clubs, the feel of small town unspoken separation between the originals and the newcomers is comical in its truth. I also got a kick out of the references to the Canada Goose problem around the town; anyone who has ever lived in their migratory route will certainly find the descriptions true to life and laughable in a "you have to laugh or you will cry" type of way. For a light-weight humourous read, fun yet focused, this series fits the bill. As a bonus there are some quick and easy yet tasty recipes at the back. 4 1/2 stars.
(Review revised Mar. 10/10)
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews
Read Dec. 27, 2009
Donna Andrews' Meg Langlow series is always entertaining; between her wacky family, new husband, chasing felons and animals alike, and renovating their newly purchased old home, the stories are among the best of cozies in the business. I adore these books! This one did not disappoint. Picture boas (not the feathered kind) in your brand new hot tub because your father is caring for them and you'll get the idea. To add to all the normal wackiness, Meg uncertainly takes on a toddler for what she believes to be a few hours, when an old friend shows up at her door needing a baby-sitter for a little while... and doesn’t return. When her friend’s ex-husband turns up dead, the hunt is on, mostly with the little one in tow, to find her friend.
Donna Andrews' Meg Langlow series is always entertaining; between her wacky family, new husband, chasing felons and animals alike, and renovating their newly purchased old home, the stories are among the best of cozies in the business. I adore these books! This one did not disappoint. Picture boas (not the feathered kind) in your brand new hot tub because your father is caring for them and you'll get the idea. To add to all the normal wackiness, Meg uncertainly takes on a toddler for what she believes to be a few hours, when an old friend shows up at her door needing a baby-sitter for a little while... and doesn’t return. When her friend’s ex-husband turns up dead, the hunt is on, mostly with the little one in tow, to find her friend.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year, Happy Reading and Happy Writing in 2010!
Here I sit in the wonderful north, enjoying the quiet of snow, the mountain out my window, the fire in the woodheater (no need for other heat)... the sun was "shining on the new-fallen (and old) snow" and I thought about how lucky I was to live here. Please feel free to comment or discuss my reviews.
Little Tiny Teeth by Aaron Elkins
Owned by me, read Feb. 8, 2009
A little different from some of the other Gideon Oliver aka Skeleton Detective series by Aaron Elkins, it was still fun and educational as well. Julie, Gideon's wife & her friend Marti Lau, wife of Gideon's good friend John Lau, have decided to vacation at a spa in Cabo San Lucas, and she tells Gideon he and John should take a vacation together somewhere too. A phone call to another friend who arranges vacations "On The Cheap" soon sets them up for a trip to the Amazon.
The book opens with a scene from the past involving headhunters and three unlucky botanists who inadvertently take a shortcut through the tribe's coca fields. The story then brings the reader into the present with the only survivor of this fiasco. Now a professor, department head and author, he is about to return to the Amazon with other ethnobotanists, an entomologist, and his co-author.
Naturally all this ties in as all the players arrive in Isquito to begin their cruise along the Amazon. Their "cruise" boat turns out to be over 100 years old and rickety, with few amenities. There are interesting characters, strange happenings, and of course the requisite bone fragments. There are also surprises in store for the reader. I am a great fan of Aaron Elkins' series and enjoyed this light read, as always.
A little different from some of the other Gideon Oliver aka Skeleton Detective series by Aaron Elkins, it was still fun and educational as well. Julie, Gideon's wife & her friend Marti Lau, wife of Gideon's good friend John Lau, have decided to vacation at a spa in Cabo San Lucas, and she tells Gideon he and John should take a vacation together somewhere too. A phone call to another friend who arranges vacations "On The Cheap" soon sets them up for a trip to the Amazon.
The book opens with a scene from the past involving headhunters and three unlucky botanists who inadvertently take a shortcut through the tribe's coca fields. The story then brings the reader into the present with the only survivor of this fiasco. Now a professor, department head and author, he is about to return to the Amazon with other ethnobotanists, an entomologist, and his co-author.
Naturally all this ties in as all the players arrive in Isquito to begin their cruise along the Amazon. Their "cruise" boat turns out to be over 100 years old and rickety, with few amenities. There are interesting characters, strange happenings, and of course the requisite bone fragments. There are also surprises in store for the reader. I am a great fan of Aaron Elkins' series and enjoyed this light read, as always.
Invisible Armies by Jon Evans
Originally posted on My Space, Aug. 1, 2007
Reviewed for Harper Collins My Space
This is the first Jon Evans novel I have read. What an adventure in reading! This book is positively vibrating with intensity and action. If you want a book that you will not want to put down, this is the book for you. The action is constant with occasional breaks where you can catch your breath before again boarding that rollercoaster ride through the pages. I found that with all the switchbacks and turnabouts I was holding my breath. This book spun me around and topsy-turvy with every change in direction. At first I found the narrative bits a bit unsettling, somewhat like watching a TV program with voice-over narration for the blind, but I soon overcame that feeling with the dialogue and action.
The story begins with a somewhat typical girl, Danielle, doing a favour for a friend. She is soon literally fighting for her life and for humanity. Nobody is who they seem, nobody wants to trust anyone else. This book will amaze you in how far the world has actually come in technology, but don’t concern yourself with whether you will understand technobabble; it will usually be explained. I guess you could say technology is one of the heroes. Jon Evans has built a brilliant story which includes the best and worst in people, greed, awareness, and the survival instinct in all of us. It takes us to different countries and in dark places and communities which seem worlds away. I highly recommend this book, it is outstanding in its genre. If it weren’t for the few calm spots in the book, I would have had to read it cover-to-cover in one sitting. In fact, I finished it at 3:00 in the morning. You will not be unaffected. 5 stars
Reviewed for Harper Collins My Space
This is the first Jon Evans novel I have read. What an adventure in reading! This book is positively vibrating with intensity and action. If you want a book that you will not want to put down, this is the book for you. The action is constant with occasional breaks where you can catch your breath before again boarding that rollercoaster ride through the pages. I found that with all the switchbacks and turnabouts I was holding my breath. This book spun me around and topsy-turvy with every change in direction. At first I found the narrative bits a bit unsettling, somewhat like watching a TV program with voice-over narration for the blind, but I soon overcame that feeling with the dialogue and action.
The story begins with a somewhat typical girl, Danielle, doing a favour for a friend. She is soon literally fighting for her life and for humanity. Nobody is who they seem, nobody wants to trust anyone else. This book will amaze you in how far the world has actually come in technology, but don’t concern yourself with whether you will understand technobabble; it will usually be explained. I guess you could say technology is one of the heroes. Jon Evans has built a brilliant story which includes the best and worst in people, greed, awareness, and the survival instinct in all of us. It takes us to different countries and in dark places and communities which seem worlds away. I highly recommend this book, it is outstanding in its genre. If it weren’t for the few calm spots in the book, I would have had to read it cover-to-cover in one sitting. In fact, I finished it at 3:00 in the morning. You will not be unaffected. 5 stars
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 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.
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