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You Are Dramatic |
 You are easily moved. You are very curious about the world around you and what's going on. You are a generous and compassionate person. You are as responsible and helpful as you can be. The world excites you. There are so many places you want to go and things you want to learn. You are interested in a plethora of things. You love to learn. |
Monday, December 31, 2012
The Bookstore Test
Scene of the Crime with Author Libby Fischer Hellmann!
The first person who ever exclaimed, "So many books, so little time!" described the pain of thousands upon thousands of confirmed readers. I know that it certainly describes mine. Back before I ever had this blog, I read and enjoyed the very first Ellie Foreman mystery, An Eye for Murder, and I vowed to read more books about this suburban mom who makes video documentaries. Did I? To my shame, I have to admit that I didn't-- and I admitted this to Libby Fischer Hellmann in an email. When she said yes to an interview, I knew I had the best opportunity ever to read another of her books. Stop by tomorrow to read my review of Libby's latest book, A Bitter Veil. (As we say back home, it's a good'un!)
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| Libby Fischer Hellmann |
Here's more information about this very talented writer so you can learn more and connect with her:
Now let's get to the fun part-- the interview!
What was the very first book you remember reading and loving? What makes that book so special?
I remember my mother reading Blueberries for Sal to me. I must have been 3 years old. I loved how “plink, plink, plink” sounded as the berries landed in the tin pail. I also loved the fact that in that book, at least, bears were not animals to be feared.
Outside of your writing and all associated commitments, what do you like to do in your free time?
Read, read, read. Listen to music. Surf the net. Watch movies. Swim. Eat.
If I were to visit your hometown, where would you recommend that I go? (I like seeing and doing things that aren't in all the guide books.)
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| English Cottage Kitchen of the Queen Anne Period |
One of my favorite places in Chicago is the Thorne Room at the Chicago Art Institute. Dozens and dozens of miniature modeled rooms from earlier times and cultures, all carefully constructed on a 1 inch= 1 foot scale. They are incredible!
I also recommend Greek Town for dinner. It’s delicious and reasonably priced.
I also recommend Greek Town for dinner. It’s delicious and reasonably priced.
[I'm in! The Phoenix Art Museum has twenty of the Thorne rooms, and they are fabulous!]
You have total control over casting a movie based on your life. Which actor would you cast as you?
Ashley Judd. Or Jodie Foster. Or, if we’re emphasizing comedy, Joan Cusack. (My kids still recite the scene of her in her wedding dress in the middle of the road from In and Out.)
Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction?
Right now, I’d have to say Gabriel Allon and Shamron, Daniel Silva’s characters. But that changes, almost daily. I also love Mickey Haller, Michael Connelly’s lawyer. I tend to gravitate toward the darker edge of crime fiction.
If you could have in your possession one signed first edition of any book in the world, which book would that be? Why that particular book?
I was tempted to say The Bible… but will reconsider. I wouldn’t mind having a signed copy of The Great Gatsby, Gone With the Wind, or To Kill a Mockingbird.
How did you celebrate when you first heard you were to be published? What did you do the first time you saw one of your books on a shelf in a bookstore?You have total control over casting a movie based on your life. Which actor would you cast as you?
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| Jodie Foster |
Ashley Judd. Or Jodie Foster. Or, if we’re emphasizing comedy, Joan Cusack. (My kids still recite the scene of her in her wedding dress in the middle of the road from In and Out.)
Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction?
Right now, I’d have to say Gabriel Allon and Shamron, Daniel Silva’s characters. But that changes, almost daily. I also love Mickey Haller, Michael Connelly’s lawyer. I tend to gravitate toward the darker edge of crime fiction.
If you could have in your possession one signed first edition of any book in the world, which book would that be? Why that particular book?
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| Decisions, decisions... |
I was tempted to say The Bible… but will reconsider. I wouldn’t mind having a signed copy of The Great Gatsby, Gone With the Wind, or To Kill a Mockingbird.
I didn’t really celebrate… I was too stunned. I went to a friend’s house—she was my mentor and cheerleader—on my bike. She was cleaning her garage. I helped her clean and told her the news.
The first time I realized it was real was when I saw An Eye for Murder in a bookstore. I was an author. Who knew?
Name one thing on your Bucket List.
You've just received a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. Which bookstore are you making a bee-line for?
I know it might be sacrilege, but I’d have to say Amazon. It’s easy, convenient, and they have the widest selection of in-stock books from which to choose.
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| ON SALE NOW! |
May your book sales do nothing but increase!
Speaking of book sales, if you have a Kindle, you have a chance to buy one of Libby's Ellie Foreman mysteries, A Shot to Die For for just 99¢. This U.S. price is good January 1-2, so I hope you won't miss this opportunity to sample her writing. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you became hooked!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Evansville, Indiana Is One Very Lucky Place!
The Farewell Tour came to a tearful close Saturday night at The Poisoned Pen. Many people came together to say good-bye to their favorite librarian/ book blogger, Lesa Holstine, who has a new position in Evansville, Indiana.
Balloons danced in mid-air and tables groaned with all sorts of mouth-watering treats (including a fabulous cake courtesy of author Louise Penny), but the main focus of everyone's attention was Lesa. None of us wanted to let her go.
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| Odin finding the best scratchers amongst us. |
While conversation flowed and cameras flashed, Poisoned Pen Pet, Odin, was a well-mannered host-- greeting everyone and finding out just which ones of us were the best at giving scratches.
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| Lesa cutting that scrumptious cake. |
Even though we know we can keep in touch with Lesa through email and her wonderful blog, Lesa's Book Critiques, it just won't be the same without seeing her smiling face when I go to author signings at the Poisoned Pen. (Although I am looking forward to her blog post describing her cross country car trip to Indiana with her mother and five cats!)
Evansville, Indiana is one very, very lucky place to have garnered such a talented librarian.
Your friends in Arizona are going to miss you fiercely, Lesa!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Saturday Snapshot: Spines? What Spines?
Stop by At Home With Books to get the links to all the other photos shared by participants in this wonderful meme. The rules are few and easy, so I hope you'll be joining us, too! (Click on any of the photos below to see them in much larger sizes.)
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| A photo op at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. |
This is the time of year when thousands of people from all over the country (and the world) come here to the Sonoran Desert to escape cold, snow and cabin fever. Our mild winters filled with sunshine and plenty of strange things to see keep visitors' cameras working overtime. Some places, like the Desert Botanical Garden, provide photo ops for visitors-- even small plinths on which to place your camera while you run to get into the picture with your friends.
But just how much thought do you give to those alien-looking things called... what? Saguaro? Prickly pear? Covered with those razor sharp spines, how can they be of any use to anyone or anything?
As I'm about to show you, it's all a matter of perspective-- and what you learned at your mama's knee!
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| The Arizona state bird-- the Cactus Wren |
As you can see above, the Arizona state bird, the cactus wren, doesn't have any problems at all with those sharp spines. In fact, some of their favorite meals and nesting spots can be found in and around various types of cacti.
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| Snack time, anyone? |
And even this little ground squirrel thinks that chunks of cholla cactus are among the tastiest things to eat on this planet. Spines? What spines?
Rounding Up the Links While Enjoying the Holidays
I haven't done much all week except relax, read good books, and enjoy myself. Tomorrow night I have a party to attend, and-- according to my calendar-- next month will be a blur of author signings at The Poisoned Pen followed by our usual birthday and anniversary celebrations. Somewhere in all that, I have to get all these Christmas decorations put away, but I have the storage boxes so organized that takedown isn't a problem. I hope that you have had some time to relax and enjoy yourselves, and if you're feeling like doing a bit of surfing, then here are some links I've found for you!
Bookish News & Other Interesting Stuff
- One comment that made a lot of difference.
- One of these days, luck like this is going to head to Phoenix: a man wins the New Hampshire lottery with a ticket that was sold to him in error.
- Am I supposed to be shocked? --Online retailers often vary their prices based upon a user's location.
- I just finished reading (and enjoying) the third Gunn Zoo mystery by Betty Webb. Let her tell you the true story behind The Llama of Death.
- Have you heard of the Little Free Libraries that have sprung up around the world? Meet the Wisconsin man who started it all.
- Five ways to organize your reading piles.
- Two wonderful archaeological finds: a 3,000-year-old temple discovered in Israel, and an ancient arts center found in Rome.
Digitally Reading
- According to Publishers Weekly, eBook reading rises while print reading dips. (I don't have to do my year end post and graphs to know that this holds true for me, even though it's a tiny dip.)
- Get it quick! One of my best reads this year, Todd Borg's Tahoe Trap is FREE for Kindle through December 29.
- Ever wonder what happens to authors when their publisher goes bankrupt?
- Interesting... Amazon seems to be mounting a silent crusade against eBook reviews.
New to My Google Reader
That's it for this week. Don't forget to stop by next weekend when I'll have a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure!
Friday, December 28, 2012
Backstage Stuff by Sharon Fiffer
If divorce weren't staring her right in the face, Jane could probably sleep the night and day away. But lawyers are wanting detailed lists of income and expenditures, and she's finding it much easier to learn how to check in with her son Nick on Facebook, Twitter and text messages than it is to sit down and compile everything the lawyers want.
Fortunately her best friend Tim knows just what to do to get Jane out of her doldrums. Not only is there a mansion on the outskirts of Kankakee, Illinois, that's stuffed to the rafters with treasures that need to be sorted, tagged and priced before the estate sale, Tim has also unearthed a play written by the mansion's former owner. He's directing and starring in the murder mystery and needs Jane's help with props and the like. But when the show's carpenter dies under suspicious circumstances, Jane becomes convinced that someone definitely doesn't want the show to go on-- and that someone might even be willing to kill to stop it.
These Jane Wheel mysteries are among the select few that I tuck away, knowing that if I'm in need of a guaranteed good read, Jane won't let me down. Backstage Stuff reinforced my belief in Jane Wheel and her creator Sharon Fiffer. In this seventh book in the series, Fiffer used misdirection (in the form of multitudes of creepy ventriloquist's dummies) brilliantly to keep part of the plot from being revealed too soon.
As good as the mystery was, it's always Fiffer's characters that get the lion's share of my attention. Jane has been quietly evolving throughout the series. She's being forced to change more quickly now due to her impending divorce, but she can still describe Bakelite and vintage kitchen linens in such a way that my hands start to tremble with my own desire to find such treasures. I also like to see how Jane is learning more of the art of being a private detective through her work with Detective Bruce Oh.
And-- as always-- Jane's mother Nellie continues to be one of the most contrary characters in crime fiction. Nellie does everything on her own terms. If you're lucky, you might get an explanation for something once every couple of decades, but mostly you're going to be out of luck. Nellie doesn't explain, she doesn't apologize (in fact she can make you want to strangle her), but when all is said and done, this tiny cantankerous woman demands-- and gets-- my respect. Normally a character as mean-spirited as Nellie would be tossed on the scrap heap of my disdain. That she continues to garner my curiosity and respect is a mark of how skillful Fiffer is at her portrayal.
In fact, I could go on for paragraphs about Sharon Fiffer's characters in the Jane Wheel series because they all feel like family. If you like excellent puzzles to solve, vintage treasures to discover, and characters that make you feel as though you've come home, do what I do: open a Jane Wheel mystery.
Backstage Stuff by Sharon Fiffer
ISBN: 9780312609795
Minotaur Books © 2011
Hardcover, 304 pages
Cozy Mystery, #7 in the Jane Wheel series set in Kankakee, Illinois
Rating: A
Source: Purchased through PBS Marketplace.
Hardcover, 304 pages
Cozy Mystery, #7 in the Jane Wheel series set in Kankakee, Illinois
Rating: A
Source: Purchased through PBS Marketplace.
Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody
Normally a peaceful Yorkshire mill town, the only exceptional thing to have happened in Bridgestead is when mill owner Joshua Braithwaite went missing and was never heard from again. Now Braithwaite's daughter Tabitha is getting married, and she wants to try one last time to find her father.
She turns to Kate Shackleton, a friend since their Voluntary Aid Detachment days during World War I. Kate's husband was listed as missing in action/ presumed dead during the war, and since the Armistice, she has been having a bit of success finding missing husbands for local women. But once Kate turns her skill to the puzzle of the missing mill owner, she discovers that someone is willing to kill to keep the secret.
This first book in the Kate Shackleton series takes place during the 1920s in the Bradford and Leeds area of Yorkshire. This area was the heart of the cloth trade in England, and I loved the fact that each chapter began with a textile term. I had no idea that so many words and phrases from the manufacture of cloth had made their way into everyday speech.
Kate Shackleton is young and independent, thinks nothing of driving herself anywhere she wants to go, and asking questions wherever she thinks they should be asked. Being advised that she needs help with some of her investigative work, Kate hires former policeman Jim Sykes, and it's fun to watch the two of them get used to working with each other; Kate not being used to having an employee, and Jim not used to such a Modern Woman. The person suggesting that Kate get help was wise because this case developed into a very complicated one that kept me guessing at every twist and turn.
I really liked the time period, the setting, and the plot of Dying in the Wool, but the characters didn't quite come to life as I'd hoped they would. Kate, Jim and Tabitha seemed to have extra measures of British reserve that kept me at a distance the entire time I was reading. Even so, this is a good, solid mystery, and I will be visiting Kate Shackleton again to see if she's warmed up to visitors.
Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody
ISBN: 9780312622398
Minotaur Books © 2012
Hardcover, 368 pages
Historical Mystery, #1 in the Kate Shackleton series set in 1920s England
Rating: C+
Source: Purchased from BookCloseouts.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
January 2013 New Mystery Releases!
I hope we all have the opportunity to spend afternoons and evenings in languorous bliss, curled up under cozy afghans by crackling fires to read the books we were given as gifts. This last week of December is one of reflection for me-- and of gratitude for all my many blessings.
One of those blessings has always been to keep an eye peeled for new books that I think my friends and I will enjoy.
I've rounded up twelve new books for January that I'm looking forward to. They're grouped by release date, and I've tried to include all the information you'll need to find them at all your favorite book spots. Hopefully I've chosen a title or two that tickles your fancy, too! Ready for my list? Here we go!
=== January 1 ===
Title: Classic in the Clouds
Author: Amy Myers
Series: #3 in the Jack Colby Car Detective series set in England
ISBN: 9780727882233
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Hardcover, 224 pages
Synopsis: "When car detective Jack Colby is asked by the ‘Mad Major’ to find one of
the original five cars that took place in the original Peking to Paris
rally of 1907, he accepts the challenge, but is soon plunged into a far
more dangerous investigation. Was the recent death of car restorer
Alfred King the accident it seems? It’s not long before the car crime
underworld becomes involved in the quest for the missing De Dion, and
the stage is set for murder...."
=== January 8 ===
Title: The Llama of Death
Author: Betty Webb
Series: #3 in the Gunn Zoo series set on the central coast of California
ISBN: 9781464200687
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Paperback, 250 pages
*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books
Synopsis: "Zookeeper Theodora "Teddy" Bentley takes Alejandro, the Gunn Zoo llama,
to a Monterey Bay-area Renaissance Faire only to discover the still-warm
body of the Reverend Victor Emerson, owner of the local wedding chapel,
dressed in his royal robes as Henry the Eighth. At first it appears as
if Alejandro stomped the man to death, but a closer look reveals a
crossbow dart in the man's back. Teddy's investigation proves the 'reverend' isn't really a reverend at all -- he's an escaped convict,
and every marriage he's performed in the past twenty years is null and
void. Teddy's mother Caro, a spoiled ex-beauty queen, becomes the chief
suspect and is immediately jailed when she causes a riot in the
courtroom.The 'reverend' had twice married Caro to wealthy men, and when
both marriages failed, Caro received large financial settlements. Now
she may have to give all that money back, certainly a good enough reason
to commit murder. But Caro wasn't the only person gunning for Victor.
As Teddy continues her investigation, she finds herself up to her ears
in girl gang members, squabbling boat liveaboarders, Renaissance Faire
actors and stuntmen, and assorted animals. Written with a humorous
touch, The Llama of Death portrays Renaissance Faire life, and gives
the reader a rare behind-the-scenes look at modern zoos."
Title: Hiding Gladys
Author: Lee Mims
Series: #1 in the Cleo Cooper field geologist series set in North Carolina
ISBN: 9780738734231
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Paperback, 264 pages
Synopsis: "Cleo Cooper is either about to strike it rich or lose it all.
Discovering a huge and rare granite deposit is a geologist’s dream come
true. The multi-million dollar quarry deal will also benefit Cleo’s
friend Gladys Walton, who owns the rural North Carolina property. So
what could go wrong? Finding a dead body in Gladys’s well, for starters.
A hitchhiking rattlesnake and a near-fatal accident during the drill
test convinces Cleo that someone is dead set on scaring her—and halting
the project. The two likely suspects? Gladys’s greedy, grown children,
Robert Earle and Shirley, who try every dirty trick in the book to cash
in on the granite-rich land. But are they nasty enough to resort to
murder?"
Title: Kinsey and Me: Stories
Author: Sue Grafton
A collection of short stories featuring Kinsey Millhone
ISBN: 9780399163838
Publisher: Marian Wood/ Putnam
Hardcover, 304 pages
Synopsis: "In 1982, Sue Grafton introduced us to Kinsey Millhone. Thirty years
later, Kinsey is an established international icon and Sue, a number-one
bestselling author. To mark this anniversary year, Sue has given us
stories that reveal Kinsey’s origins and Sue’s past.
'I've come to believe that Grafton is not only the most talented woman writing crime fiction today but also that, regardless of gender, her Millhone books are among the five or six best series any American has ever written.'—Patrick Anderson, The Washington Post
Kinsey and Me has two parts: The nine Kinsey stories (1986-93), each a gem of detection; and the And Me stories, written in the decade after Grafton's mother died. Together, they show just how much of Kinsey is a distillation of her creator’s past even as they reveal a child who, free of parental interventions, read everything and roamed everywhere. But the dark side of such freedom was that very parental distance.
The same unique voice and witty insights readers fell in love with in A Is for Alibi permeate the Kinsey stories. Those in the And Me section trace a remarkable voyage, from anger to understanding, from pain to forgiveness. They take us into a troubled family, dysfunctional as most families are, each in their own way, but Grafton’s telling is sensitive, delicate, and ultimately, loving. Enriching the way we see Kinsey and know Sue, these stories are deeply affecting."
'I've come to believe that Grafton is not only the most talented woman writing crime fiction today but also that, regardless of gender, her Millhone books are among the five or six best series any American has ever written.'—Patrick Anderson, The Washington Post
Kinsey and Me has two parts: The nine Kinsey stories (1986-93), each a gem of detection; and the And Me stories, written in the decade after Grafton's mother died. Together, they show just how much of Kinsey is a distillation of her creator’s past even as they reveal a child who, free of parental interventions, read everything and roamed everywhere. But the dark side of such freedom was that very parental distance.
The same unique voice and witty insights readers fell in love with in A Is for Alibi permeate the Kinsey stories. Those in the And Me section trace a remarkable voyage, from anger to understanding, from pain to forgiveness. They take us into a troubled family, dysfunctional as most families are, each in their own way, but Grafton’s telling is sensitive, delicate, and ultimately, loving. Enriching the way we see Kinsey and know Sue, these stories are deeply affecting."
=== January 9 ===
Title: Cruising in Your Eighties Is Murder
Author: Mike Befeler
Series: #4 in the Geezer Lit series set on a cruise to Alaska
ISBN: 9781432825812
Publisher: Five Star
Hardcover: 276 pages
Synopsis: "In this entry, the fourth of the Paul Jacobson Geezer-Lit Mystery Series,
crotchety octogenarian Paul Jacobson becomes involved in a series of
crimes while struggling with the problems of his short-term memory loss.
On a honeymoon cruise to Alaska with his bride, Paul must deal with mayhem, missing people, and murder. He has to use all his geezer resources to solve a case of international intrigue."
On a honeymoon cruise to Alaska with his bride, Paul must deal with mayhem, missing people, and murder. He has to use all his geezer resources to solve a case of international intrigue."
Title: The Sign of the Weeping Virgin
Author: Alana White
Standalone
ISBN: 9781432826239
Publisher: Five Star
Hardcover, 384 pages
Synopsis: "Romance and intrigue abound in The Sign of the Weeping Virgin, an evocative historical mystery that brings the Italian Renaissance gloriously to life.
In 1480 Florentine investigator Guid Antonio Vespucci and his nephew Amerigo are tangled in events that threaten to destroy them and their beloved city.
Marauding Turks abduct a beautiful young Florentine girl and sell her into slavery. And then a holy painting begins weeping in Guid Antonio's family church. Are the tears manmade or a sign of God's displeasure with Guid Antonio himself?
In a finely wrought story for lovers of medieval and renaissance mysteries everywhere, Guid Antonio follows a spellbinding trail of clues to uncover the thought-provoking truth about the missing girl and the weeping painting's mystifying--and miraculous?--tears all pursued as he comes face to face with his own personal demons."
In 1480 Florentine investigator Guid Antonio Vespucci and his nephew Amerigo are tangled in events that threaten to destroy them and their beloved city.
Marauding Turks abduct a beautiful young Florentine girl and sell her into slavery. And then a holy painting begins weeping in Guid Antonio's family church. Are the tears manmade or a sign of God's displeasure with Guid Antonio himself?
In a finely wrought story for lovers of medieval and renaissance mysteries everywhere, Guid Antonio follows a spellbinding trail of clues to uncover the thought-provoking truth about the missing girl and the weeping painting's mystifying--and miraculous?--tears all pursued as he comes face to face with his own personal demons."
=== January 15 ===
Title: Snow White Must Die
Author: Nele Neuhaus
Series: #4 in the Bodenstein and Kirchhoff police procedural series set in the Tanus Mountains of Germany
ISBN: 9780312604257
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Hardcover, 384 pages
*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books
On a September evening eleven years
earlier, two seventeen-year-old girls vanished from the village without a
trace. In a trial based only on circumstantial
evidence, twenty-year-old Tobias Sartorius, Rita Cramer’s son, was
sentenced to ten years in prison. Bodenstein and Kirchhoff discover that
Tobias, after serving his sentence, has now returned to his home
town. Did the attack on his mother have something to do with his return?
In the village, Pia and Oliver encounter a wall of silence. When another young girl disappears, the events of the past seem to be repeating themselves in a disastrous manner. The investigation turns into a race against time, because for the villagers it is soon clear who the perpetrator is—and this time they are determined to take matters into their own hands.
An atmospheric, character-driven and suspenseful mystery set in a small town that could be anywhere, dealing with issues of gossip, power, and keeping up appearances."
Title: Standing in Another Man's Grave
Author: Ian Rankin
Series: #20 in the John Rebus series set in Scotland
ISBN: 9780316224581
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Hardcover, 400 pages
Synopsis: "John Rebus returns to investigate the disappearances of three women from the same road over ten years.
For the last decade, Nina Hazlitt has been ready to hear the worst about her daughter's disappearance. But with no sightings, no body, and no suspect, the police investigation ground to a halt long ago, and Nina's pleas to the cold case department have led her nowhere. Until she meets the newest member of the team: former Detective John Rebus.
Rebus has never shied away from lost causes - one of the many ways he managed to antagonize his bosses when he was on the force. Now he's back as a retired civilian, reviewing abandoned files. Necessary work, but it's not exactly scratching the itch he feels to be in the heart of the action.
Two more women have gone missing from the same road where Sally Hazlitt was last seen. Unlike his skeptical colleagues, Rebus can sense a connection - but pursuing it leads him into the crosshairs of adversaries both old and new. Rebus may have missed the thrill of the hunt, but he's up against a powerful enemy who's got even less to lose.
On the twentieth anniversary of Ian Rankin's first American publication comes a novel bursting with the vitality and suspense that made its author one of crime fiction's most dazzling stars. STANDING IN ANOTHER MAN'S GRAVE is the triumphant return of John Rebus, and a riveting story of sin, redemption, and revenge."
Title: On the Rocks
Author: Sue Hallgarth
Standalone
ISBN: 9780985520007
Publisher: Arbor Farm Press
Paperback, 262 pages
Synopsis: "The year is 1929 and Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist Willa Cather and her partner Edith Lewis are summering on Grand Manan, an island in the Bay of Fundy. In their cottage's sparsely-furnished attic room, Cather is at work writing Shadows on the Rock, her tenth novel. Relaxing after a hectic winter of working at a New York City ad agency, J. Walter Thompson, Edith is painting watercolors from the cliffs two hundred feet above the rising tides of Whale Cove. Out of the corner of her eye, Edith sees a body plunge from the edge of a cliff to the rocks below....
First-time novelist Sue Hallgarth's intimate view of village politics and the goings-on of two women's communities long lost to history is also a suspenseful and surprising crime novel. Hallgarth draws the reader into a unique retreat, stimulating conversations about literature and art, and an inside glimpse of the lives of a great American novelist and her talented life partner."
Title: The Drowning House
Author: Elizabeth Black
Standalone
ISBN: 9780385535861
Publisher: Nan A. Talese
Hardcover, 288 pages
Synopsis: "Photographer Clare Porterfield's once-happy marriage is coming apart, unraveling under the strain of a family tragedy. When she receives an invitation to direct an exhibition in her hometown of Galveston, Texas, she jumps at the chance to escape her grief and reconnect with the island she hasn't seen for ten years. There Clare will have the time and space to search for answers about her troubled past and her family's complicated relationship with the wealthy and influential Carraday family.
Soon she finds herself drawn into a century-old mystery involving Stella Carraday. Local legend has it that Stella drowned in her family's house during the Great Hurricane of 1900, hanged by her long hair from the drawing room chandelier. Could Stella have been saved? What is the true nature of Clare's family's involvement? The questions grow like the wildflower vines that climb up the walls and fences of the island. And the closer Clare gets to the answers, the darker and more disturbing the truth becomes.
Steeped in the rich local history of Galveston, The Drowning House portrays two families, inextricably linked by tragedy and time."
There are some good books coming out in January, aren't there? Did any of the titles tickle your fancy? Which ones? This inquiring mind just has to know!
In the village, Pia and Oliver encounter a wall of silence. When another young girl disappears, the events of the past seem to be repeating themselves in a disastrous manner. The investigation turns into a race against time, because for the villagers it is soon clear who the perpetrator is—and this time they are determined to take matters into their own hands.
An atmospheric, character-driven and suspenseful mystery set in a small town that could be anywhere, dealing with issues of gossip, power, and keeping up appearances."
Author: Ian Rankin
Series: #20 in the John Rebus series set in Scotland
ISBN: 9780316224581
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books
Hardcover, 400 pages
Synopsis: "John Rebus returns to investigate the disappearances of three women from the same road over ten years.
For the last decade, Nina Hazlitt has been ready to hear the worst about her daughter's disappearance. But with no sightings, no body, and no suspect, the police investigation ground to a halt long ago, and Nina's pleas to the cold case department have led her nowhere. Until she meets the newest member of the team: former Detective John Rebus.
Rebus has never shied away from lost causes - one of the many ways he managed to antagonize his bosses when he was on the force. Now he's back as a retired civilian, reviewing abandoned files. Necessary work, but it's not exactly scratching the itch he feels to be in the heart of the action.
Two more women have gone missing from the same road where Sally Hazlitt was last seen. Unlike his skeptical colleagues, Rebus can sense a connection - but pursuing it leads him into the crosshairs of adversaries both old and new. Rebus may have missed the thrill of the hunt, but he's up against a powerful enemy who's got even less to lose.
On the twentieth anniversary of Ian Rankin's first American publication comes a novel bursting with the vitality and suspense that made its author one of crime fiction's most dazzling stars. STANDING IN ANOTHER MAN'S GRAVE is the triumphant return of John Rebus, and a riveting story of sin, redemption, and revenge."
Author: Sue Hallgarth
Standalone
ISBN: 9780985520007
Publisher: Arbor Farm Press
Paperback, 262 pages
Synopsis: "The year is 1929 and Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist Willa Cather and her partner Edith Lewis are summering on Grand Manan, an island in the Bay of Fundy. In their cottage's sparsely-furnished attic room, Cather is at work writing Shadows on the Rock, her tenth novel. Relaxing after a hectic winter of working at a New York City ad agency, J. Walter Thompson, Edith is painting watercolors from the cliffs two hundred feet above the rising tides of Whale Cove. Out of the corner of her eye, Edith sees a body plunge from the edge of a cliff to the rocks below....
First-time novelist Sue Hallgarth's intimate view of village politics and the goings-on of two women's communities long lost to history is also a suspenseful and surprising crime novel. Hallgarth draws the reader into a unique retreat, stimulating conversations about literature and art, and an inside glimpse of the lives of a great American novelist and her talented life partner."
Author: Elizabeth Black
Standalone
ISBN: 9780385535861
Publisher: Nan A. Talese
Hardcover, 288 pages
Synopsis: "Photographer Clare Porterfield's once-happy marriage is coming apart, unraveling under the strain of a family tragedy. When she receives an invitation to direct an exhibition in her hometown of Galveston, Texas, she jumps at the chance to escape her grief and reconnect with the island she hasn't seen for ten years. There Clare will have the time and space to search for answers about her troubled past and her family's complicated relationship with the wealthy and influential Carraday family.
Soon she finds herself drawn into a century-old mystery involving Stella Carraday. Local legend has it that Stella drowned in her family's house during the Great Hurricane of 1900, hanged by her long hair from the drawing room chandelier. Could Stella have been saved? What is the true nature of Clare's family's involvement? The questions grow like the wildflower vines that climb up the walls and fences of the island. And the closer Clare gets to the answers, the darker and more disturbing the truth becomes.
Steeped in the rich local history of Galveston, The Drowning House portrays two families, inextricably linked by tragedy and time."
=== January 29 ===
Title: Little Elvises
Author: Timothy Hallinan
Series: #2 in the Junior Bender series set in Los Angeles, California
ISBN: 9781616952778
Publisher: Soho Crime
Hardcover, 352 pages
*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books
Synopsis: "LA burglar Junior Bender has (unfortunately) developed a reputation as a
competent private investigator for crooks. The unfortunate part about
this is that regardless of whether he solves the crime or not, someone
dangerous is going to be unhappy with him, either his suspect or his
employer.
Now Junior is being bullied into proving aging music industry mogul Vinnie DiGaudio is innocent of the murder of a nasty tabloid journalist he'd threatened to kill a couple times. It doesn’t help that the dead journalist’s widow is one pretty lady, and she’s trying to get Junior to mix pleasure with business. Just as the investigation is spiraling out of control, Junior's hard-drinking landlady begs him to solve the disappearance of her daughter, who got involved with a very questionable character. And, worst news of all, both Junior's ex-wife and his thirteen-year-old daughter, Rina, seem to have new boyfriends. What a mess."
Now Junior is being bullied into proving aging music industry mogul Vinnie DiGaudio is innocent of the murder of a nasty tabloid journalist he'd threatened to kill a couple times. It doesn’t help that the dead journalist’s widow is one pretty lady, and she’s trying to get Junior to mix pleasure with business. Just as the investigation is spiraling out of control, Junior's hard-drinking landlady begs him to solve the disappearance of her daughter, who got involved with a very questionable character. And, worst news of all, both Junior's ex-wife and his thirteen-year-old daughter, Rina, seem to have new boyfriends. What a mess."
Title: Speaking from Among the Bones
Author: Alan Bradley
Series: #5 in the Flavia de Luce series set in 1950s England
ISBN: 9780385344036
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Hardcover, 400 pages
Synopsis: "Eleven-year-old amateur detective and ardent chemist Flavia de Luce is
used to digging up clues, whether they’re found among the potions in her
laboratory or between the pages of her insufferable sisters’ diaries.
What she is not accustomed to is digging up bodies. Upon the
five-hundredth anniversary of St. Tancred’s death, the English hamlet of
Bishop’s Lacey is busily preparing to open its patron saint’s tomb.
Nobody is more excited to peek inside the crypt than Flavia, yet what
she finds will halt the proceedings dead in their tracks: the body of
Mr. Collicutt, the church organist, his face grotesquely and
inexplicably masked. Who held a vendetta against Mr. Collicutt, and why
would they hide him in such a sacred resting place? The irrepressible
Flavia decides to find out. And what she unearths will prove there’s
never such thing as an open-and-shut case."
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
A Spirited Gift by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Dae O'Donnell has good reason to be nervous. As mayor of Duck, North Carolina, she got the bright idea of inviting twenty small town mayors as well as their spouses and assistants to the Blue Whale Inn for her first Mayors' Conference Weekend. Unfortunately a storm got its own bright idea of becoming a hurricane and heading right for Duck, contrary to what every weather forecast predicted. With the power out and trees crashing through windows, there's little time for Dae to keep track of so many people.
The next morning the body of one of the mayors is found in what's left of the inn's toolshed. Although police believe the woman's death was caused by the storm, Dae knows it's not because she found Sandi's ring in the ballroom the night before, and the vision she had showed Sandi being held at gunpoint.
I have really enjoyed the Missing Pieces series up to this point. I love the setting on North Carolina's Outer Banks (incidentally, the town of Duck is a real place), and Dae's ability to touch an object and be able to see parts of its history fascinates me. Dae is a likable and sympathetic character as is her romantic interest, former FBI agent Kevin Brickman. However, from a promising beginning, the series began to sag into complacency a bit. Dae and Kevin's relationship has remained static, and Dae seldom uses her gift to any degree-- especially in solving crimes. Mostly she seems to put on her big mayor's smile and take care of Duck's business, and although I like the place, I don't read these books to find out how to run a small town on the Outer Banks.
The mystery in A Spirited Gift never became anything but lukewarm to me for two reasons. One, the victim didn't generate much interest. She wasn't a particularly admirable person, but I couldn't even work up a good dislike towards her. The second reason the story never really took off for me is the fact that I spotted the killer the very first time the character was described. Many times this does not sound a book's death knell for me, but when I couldn't get interested in other parts of the book, it was tough going here and there.
Fortunately I did read the entire book because at the very end, the authors made it abundantly clear that major changes are in the works for Dae O'Donnell. The timing is fortuitous, and I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book in this series. No, I'm not ready to give up on Dae-- I like her that much!
A Spirited Gift by Joyce and Jim Lavene
ISBN: 9780425245026
Berkley Prime Crime © 2011
Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages
Cozy Mystery, #3 Missing Pieces mystery
Rating: C
Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.
Monday, December 24, 2012
The Bridge Test
|
You Are a Bridge to Happiness |
 You enjoy a good challenge or competition. You're bored when things are too easy. You are focused and committed. You never lose site of your goals. You like to surround yourself with beautiful objects. Aesthetics are important to you. You are passionate and romantic. When you meet the right person, you just know. |
Scene of the Crime with Author Christopher Lord!
Perhaps it's because I have a degree in English Literature and have read more Victorian novels than I can remember. Perhaps it's because I once wrote a version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears in the style of Charles Dickens. Whatever the reason, when I learned of The Christmas Carol Murders by Christopher Lord, the first book in his Dickens Junction mystery series, I knew I had to read it. I'm glad I did. One of the many things I enjoyed about Lord's book was the "battle of principles" between Charles Dickens and Ayn Rand, and I can't wait to see what's in store when the second book in the series is published.
 |
| Christopher Lord |
Here's what I discovered, just in case you'd also like to learn more about this talented writer:
I must be a true bookaholic because I'd love to know the titles of the books Christopher is holding in his photograph! But instead of wasting time wondering, let's get to the interview!
What was the very first book you remember reading and loving? What makes that book so special?
I'm sure I read many books that I don't remember, but I absolutely remember The Secret of the Old Clock, the first Nancy Drew mystery. I bought it for five or ten cents at the permanent rummage sale in Astoria. It was one of the original editions in the blue covers. Nancy was so plucky and bright. And she eventually ended up with a handsome hunky boyfriend. As a result I ended up reading the entire series up through The Mystery of the 99 Steps, which I read when it was published. By that time, however, a boy reading Nancy Drew was getting too much attention, so I stopped. But that was okay, because I discovered Dickens two years later when I read Our Mutual Friend. That book made me truly fall in love with reading, made me a life-time 19th century novel-lover, and one of the world's biggest Dickens fans.
Outside of your writing and all associated commitments, what do you like to do in your free time?
Now that I'm retired, I am getting to indulge my travel bug. Since I retired from a career as an insurance executive in 2008 I've been to Scotland, Scandinavia, Israel/Jordan/Palestine, and Tanzania. I'm going to New York for Christmas, and plan on spending a month in London in spring 2013 (where I hope to find some adventures for Simon Alastair, my detective). I'm also attempting to learn to play the ukulele, an instrument that Zach will be taking up in a future Dickens Junction book.
If I were to visit your hometown, where would you recommend that I go? (I like seeing and doing things that aren't in all the guide books.)
Since the town featured in the Dickens Junction mysteries IS my hometown of Astoria, Oregon, I can assure you I would take you to places off the beaten path. But the one that comes to mind is the former home of noted local citizen XXXXX XXXXX, who in the 1950s was involved in a scandalous event (think Lana Turner-style). Her name had the power of the bogey man among my friends and me, and one day we walked all the way to her home and back (more than a mile, a feat for six- or seven-year olds). We got in a LOT of trouble. I would certainly take you to where she used to live.
I would drive you over the Columbia River across the Astoria-Megler Bridge on a clear day and then drive back into Astoria so you could see the beautiful little town perched on its undulating hills. It's a gorgeous sight. Then I'd take you to Fort Clatsop and then to Bell Buoy Crab Company in Seaside for a crab cocktail. We could end the day at Astoria's singular Desdemona Club bar, where we could enjoy a PBR while looking out of the porthole hatch windows. No "Goonies" sites for me--I'm a child of the sixties, not the eighties. But I did go to grade school at John Jacob Astor school, where "Kindergarten Cop" was filmed.
You have total control over casting a movie based on your life. Which actor would you cast as you?
What an interesting question--I can honestly say I have never thought about this before. When I was a kid, I wanted to be Paul Lynde (go figure), but that's not quite the same thing, is it? And he was such a bitter man in real life. I'm pretty easy-going.
I'm going to have to say I'd cast John Stamos, even though he would definitely be my casting choice for Zach Benjamin, and I'm not at all like Zach (except that I own a leather bomber jacket). John has the ability to deliver the witty lines of dialogue that I imagine are always dropping from my lips, like pearls.
Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction?
My out-of-the-box answer was going to be Miss Marple, but I think I prefer the Miss Marple from BBC adaptations more than the very reserved, almost passive character that Christie created. So my other answer would have to be Barbara Havers from Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley mysteries. Such a big heart, and so many flaws. I would love to meet Chelsea Cain's Gretchen Lowell, except I would be afraid that she would extract my intestines with a crochet hook. My favorite mystery writer is, hands down, Ruth Rendell, particularly when she writes as Barbara Vine. She transcends the genre. The House of Stairs by Barbara Vine is my all-time favorite mystery. It's not a "whodunit?" It's a "what happened?"
If you could have in your possession one signed first edition of any book in the world, which book would that be? Why that particular book?
This one is easy. I would want a first-edition, signed copy of A Christmas Carol. Several years ago at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London I held the autographed presentation copy that Dickens gave to his biographer, John Forster. The book is simply gorgeous, red cloth stamped in gold, with hand-colored interior illustrations. And it's not very big. Dickens expected to make a fortune on it, but because of his exacting production standards, the book made far less money than he had hoped for (he ALWAYS needed money).
How did you celebrate when you first heard you were to be published? What did you do the first time you saw one of your books on a shelf in a bookstore?
Since I brought The Christmas Carol Murders out independently, I didn't have that same moment of surprise that I had when an editor called to tell me that he had bought my first short story. So the celebratory moments came in batches--when I saw the first illustration that Tina Granzo did--when I saw the cover--when I held the proof, which at that time was the sole copy of my book in the entire world. Those were quiet moments, but deeply rewarding. The first time I saw it on the shelf in a bookstore I immediately wondered--why didn't they turn it out so the cover would show? And why didn't they have more copies?
Name one thing on your Bucket List.
I would like to visit all seven continents. I've been to North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. South America is easily doable (I want to do the Machu Picchu thing). I don't know how I would survive the boat trip to Antarctica, though. I get pretty seasick, and the journey is not, I hear, for the faint-hearted or weak-stomached.
You've just received a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. Which bookstore are you making a bee-line for?
I think I'll pass on this one--I love all of the indie bookstores in my area. Each one has a personality separate from its owners (who often have great personalities themselves). I buy from all of them. But if I had any gift card fall in my lap I'd probably wish for one from a cooking store. You can never have too many kitchen implements.
Thank you so much for the information on your upcoming books. It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you a little better.
May your book sales do nothing but increase!
 |
| Original cover of the 1930 edition |
Outside of your writing and all associated commitments, what do you like to do in your free time?
Now that I'm retired, I am getting to indulge my travel bug. Since I retired from a career as an insurance executive in 2008 I've been to Scotland, Scandinavia, Israel/Jordan/Palestine, and Tanzania. I'm going to New York for Christmas, and plan on spending a month in London in spring 2013 (where I hope to find some adventures for Simon Alastair, my detective). I'm also attempting to learn to play the ukulele, an instrument that Zach will be taking up in a future Dickens Junction book.
If I were to visit your hometown, where would you recommend that I go? (I like seeing and doing things that aren't in all the guide books.)
 |
| Astoria-Megler Bridge |
I would drive you over the Columbia River across the Astoria-Megler Bridge on a clear day and then drive back into Astoria so you could see the beautiful little town perched on its undulating hills. It's a gorgeous sight. Then I'd take you to Fort Clatsop and then to Bell Buoy Crab Company in Seaside for a crab cocktail. We could end the day at Astoria's singular Desdemona Club bar, where we could enjoy a PBR while looking out of the porthole hatch windows. No "Goonies" sites for me--I'm a child of the sixties, not the eighties. But I did go to grade school at John Jacob Astor school, where "Kindergarten Cop" was filmed.
You have total control over casting a movie based on your life. Which actor would you cast as you?
 |
| John Stamos |
I'm going to have to say I'd cast John Stamos, even though he would definitely be my casting choice for Zach Benjamin, and I'm not at all like Zach (except that I own a leather bomber jacket). John has the ability to deliver the witty lines of dialogue that I imagine are always dropping from my lips, like pearls.
Who is your favorite recurring character in crime fiction?
My out-of-the-box answer was going to be Miss Marple, but I think I prefer the Miss Marple from BBC adaptations more than the very reserved, almost passive character that Christie created. So my other answer would have to be Barbara Havers from Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley mysteries. Such a big heart, and so many flaws. I would love to meet Chelsea Cain's Gretchen Lowell, except I would be afraid that she would extract my intestines with a crochet hook. My favorite mystery writer is, hands down, Ruth Rendell, particularly when she writes as Barbara Vine. She transcends the genre. The House of Stairs by Barbara Vine is my all-time favorite mystery. It's not a "whodunit?" It's a "what happened?"
If you could have in your possession one signed first edition of any book in the world, which book would that be? Why that particular book?
 |
| A Christmas Carol, First Edition |
How did you celebrate when you first heard you were to be published? What did you do the first time you saw one of your books on a shelf in a bookstore?
Since I brought The Christmas Carol Murders out independently, I didn't have that same moment of surprise that I had when an editor called to tell me that he had bought my first short story. So the celebratory moments came in batches--when I saw the first illustration that Tina Granzo did--when I saw the cover--when I held the proof, which at that time was the sole copy of my book in the entire world. Those were quiet moments, but deeply rewarding. The first time I saw it on the shelf in a bookstore I immediately wondered--why didn't they turn it out so the cover would show? And why didn't they have more copies?
Name one thing on your Bucket List.
 |
| Sailing around Antarctica's glaciers |
You've just received a $100 gift card to the bookstore of your choice. Which bookstore are you making a bee-line for?
I think I'll pass on this one--I love all of the indie bookstores in my area. Each one has a personality separate from its owners (who often have great personalities themselves). I buy from all of them. But if I had any gift card fall in my lap I'd probably wish for one from a cooking store. You can never have too many kitchen implements.
 |
| ON SALE NOW! |
Thanks for the opportunity to get my name out to your readers. I don't have any fancy book trailers or glam shots. I do have an excellent website, where readers can see full-color illustrations from my book, a bigger map of Dickens Square, and my blog, where I trace my journey from unpublished to published writer. I've finished the second Dickens Junction mystery, The Edwin Drood Murders, and book three, The Our Mutual Friend Murders, needs one more draft before it goes to editing. Expect "Edwin Drood" on the shelves late summer 2013, and "Our Mutual Friend" in 2014. The Oliver Twist Murders, book four, is just beginning to form in my head.
Thank you so much for the information on your upcoming books. It was a pleasure to be able to get to know you a little better.
May your book sales do nothing but increase!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Endangered by Pamela Beason
Wildlife biologist and freelance writer Summer Westin is on assignment in southern Utah for the Save the Wilderness Fund. As she's about to hike out to her camp, she hears a mother calling for her child and has a little boy run into her, but before she can do anything, the little boy runs toward a man on the other side of the trees. Assuming the man is the child's father, she waves, the man waves back, and Summer heads out for her camp.
She arrives in time to take once-in-a-lifetime photos of a female cougar and her cub walking out across Rainbow Bridge. Having all the latest portable technology, she uploads her photos and her article to SWF and calls it a night. Returning to town the next day, she's stunned when she learns that the little boy has gone missing and is presumed to be the victim of a cougar attack. The news media has swarmed over the story and is inciting every nut with a gun to show up and blast holes in the killer cougars.
Knowing the cougars had nothing to do with it, Summer is in a race with the clock before the government sends in trained shooters to track down the big cats. Getting in her way at every turn is FBI agent Chase Perez, and Perez hopes the cougars are at fault-- because the alternative could be a whole lot worse.
As soon as Summer took those photos of the cougars at Rainbow Bridge, I had a huge smile on my face. For years, I've loved Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series, not only for Anna herself, but for the National Park settings and the wildlife. Now here is Summer Westin, a woman who carries a camera instead of a gun, and she likes to get out in the middle of nowhere to observe wildlife. I'm in heaven!
Beason also provides romantic interest in FBI agent Chase Perez. Normally I prefer my crime fiction sans romance, but Beason hits just the right note with hers, and the sparks between Summer and Chase add to the story rather than detract from it.
This is pretty much a two-person show, but two secondary characters-- both rangers in the park-- perform admirably and show just how dangerous it can be to be a solitary ranger facing a motley assortment of park visitors. And if you like excitement along with wilderness and wildlife, you're going to love the tour of caves in a rainstorm that the author supplies. I couldn't read fast enough!
Are you looking for another writer who can fill your craving for adventure, wilderness, wildlife, and strong characters? Add Pamela Beason to your list. The second book in this series, Bear Bait, is already in my sights.
Endangered by Pamela Beason
ISBN: 978042524498
Berkley Prime Crime © 2011
Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages
Environmental Mystery, #1 Summer Westin
Rating: A+
Source: Paperback Swap
Berkley Prime Crime © 2011
Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages
Environmental Mystery, #1 Summer Westin
Rating: A+
Source: Paperback Swap
Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson
If Crowther had known what was in store for him, he just might have pulled the covers back over his head. Harriet Westerman, the unconventional mistress of Caveley Park, has found a dead man on her property, and she insists that reclusive anatomist Gabriel Crowther help her find the killer. Their search will take them from country walks to drawing rooms to grimy London streets to dissecting rooms, and by the time they're done, there will be no more secrets at neighboring Thornleigh Hall.
Harriet Westerman is the kind of amateur sleuth that I want to know more about. The wife of a sea captain, Harriet went to sea with her husband during peace time and in war-- and she misses it. The only reason why she's taken up residence at Caveley Park is because her husband has always wanted a big house and property. If left to her own devices, she'd still be at sea.
Gabriel Crowther on the other hand is an anatomist, which isn't a very popular occupation in eighteenth century England. He prefers solitude for many reasons, only one of which concerns his work. Having removed himself from polite society, he finds himself out of step when Harriet drags him back into it. This pair of self-appointed sleuths both have courage and razor-sharp minds, which bodes well for a series.
However, the author has also populated the book with several other well-drawn and memorable characters, one group of which is chased through the dark streets of London by a very scary murderer. Whether trying to track down the notes of a magistrate or attempting to protect the next people on the killer's list, I never knew when I'd run into another of the author's marvelous characters.
The only thing that kept me from raising this book to the ceiling and shouting, "Hallelujah!" is that the pace tended to be glacial until the last quarter of the book. But Robertson has now set up a world that I want to revisit again and again. Mrs. Westerman? Please set another place at dinner. I am coming to dine!
Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson
ISBN: 9780143120407
Penguin Books © 2011
Paperback, 384 pages
Historical Mystery, #1 Crowther and Westerman mystery
Rating: A-
Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.
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