Mark These Read

 

Welcome to the latest edition of my feeble attempts to catch up on my reviews. These catch-up reviews are going to be short and sweet, but at least you'll have an idea of what pages I've been turning the past few months! (I'll also provide links to Amazon in each title if you want to learn more about any of the books.)

Let's get started!

The Last Supper by Rosemary Shrager

#1 Prudence Bulstrode cozy mystery

Rating: B

My Thoughts: This mystery revolving around a murder during an English country house shooting party started a bit awkwardly, but soon hit its stride. The author is a celebrity chef, and readers certainly get an insider's look at both celebrity chefs and cooking. 

One thing I liked about Prudence Bulstrode (besides her name!) was the fact that she planned all her sleuthing around the meals she had to prepare for the guests at the country house. So many times, amateur sleuths seem to forget that they have bills to pay and blithely skip away to look for clues. 

Filled with interesting characters, a solid mystery, and plenty of humor, I'll be returning to see what Prudence cooks up next.

Michael's Wife by Marlys Millhiser

Standalone Suspense

Rating: C+

My Thoughts: Having enjoyed Millhiser's book, The Mirror, I looked forward to this tale of a woman with amnesia who finds herself thrown into one of those rich, entitled families that would put a nest of vipers to shame. Unfortunately, I found the book to be pedestrian and lacking suspense.

My advice: Skip this one, but if you like excellent time travel stories, find The Mirror.

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain

Standalone Historical Fiction

Rating: A

My Thoughts: After watching the film, Out of Africa, I read many non-fiction books about that time period in Africa (fascinating!) One of the books that made my all-time favorite books list was Beryl Markham's memoir, West With the Night.

When I began to read Circling the Sun, I immediately fell under the spell of Markham's voice. This woman lived an incredible life, mixing the early days of aviation (she was the first person to fly solo west across the Atlantic), growing up with the Kikuyu in Kenya, African wildlife, and horse racing.

McLain's book is a tale well told, and I'll be reading more of her work.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

#1 Martini Club thriller

Rating: A

My Thoughts: Maggie Bird lives in the seaside village of Purity, Maine-- along with several other retired CIA operatives. When Maggie's past rises up, she goes to those friends to take advantage of the more than 100 years of experience they share. 

As Maggie showed me how careful she is with every single move she makes, I was exhausted-- and grateful that I'll never have to live that way. Local police chief Jo Thibodeau is a hoot ("Outmaneuvered by a bunch of old folks"), and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her as well as Maggie's neighbor, Luther Yount, and his granddaughter Callie.

Side note: I've learned more about the state of Maine by reading mysteries!

There you have it-- four more books that I read over the summer. When will I catch up? Your guess is as good as mine!

Have you read any of these? Which ones? What did you think? Did I tempt you with any of them? Inquiring minds would love to know!

 

River of the Gods by Candice Millard

First Line: As he walked through the storied gates of Alexandria in the fall of 1801, a young British officer named William Richard Hamilton found himself in the middle of a stunning tableau-- abject misery set against the lost grandeur of the Pharaohs.

 

The source of the Nile River had been shrouded in mystery for thousands of years until a frenzy of interest in ancient Egypt inspired European powers to send out waves of expeditions to map the unknown corners of the world and extend their empires. 

Two explorers were sent out by England's Royal Geographical Society to find the Nile's headwaters: Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke. Burton spoke twenty-nine languages, was a decorated soldier, and an atheist. Speke was a young aristocrat and Army officer, passionate about hunting and determined to make his mark on the world.

The two men clashed from the beginning on a journey of tremendous hardships, illness, and one setback after another. After two years, Burton became too ill to continue, but Speke did and ultimately claimed he'd found the source of the Nile. Speke rushed to take credit for his discovery, and when Burton disputed it, Speke launched another expedition to prove his claim. The two became venomous enemies.

Yet there was a third man on both expeditions, his name obscured, whose exploits were even more extraordinary. Without a former slave named Sidi Mubarak Bombay, neither Burton nor Speke would have come close to the headwaters of the Nile. In fact, neither one of them would probably have survived.

~

Candice Millard is a Must-Read author for me. All of her books have been fascinating. In River of the Gods, the two main characters, Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke, were so diametrically opposed that I found it easy to take sides. 

 

Richard Burton spoke several languages, believed in traveling as a native in whichever country he found himself in, didn't believe in converting anyone to Christianity, and only killed animals when it was necessary.  His main problem was that he could be much too blunt for the delicate sensibilities of others.

John Hanning Speke was a young aristocrat who was pompous, sloppy with details, and-- as an editor found out later to his horror-- was a total nightmare as a writer. He joined Burton in the expedition to the headwaters of the Nile for the glory, and he was completely capable of lying to get what he felt he deserved. On top of that, he loved to go hunting and blast away at anything that moved whether the men on the expedition needed the meat or not.

Sidi Mubarak Bombay was even more exceptional than Richard Burton. He was captured, enslaved, and shipped from his East African home to India. When his owner died, he joined the army and eventually traveled back to Africa. There he used his resourcefulness, linguistic powers, and courage to become a guide. There is no doubt that, without men like Bombay to lead, carry supplies, and protect these European expeditions, none of them would have been a success. 

Once again, Millard has crafted a fascinating history of the exploits of extraordinary people. Although slow-paced at times, River of the Gods is riveting.

 

River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile

by Candice Millard

eISBN: 9780385543118

Knopf Doubelday © 2022

eBook, 424 pages

 

Non-Fiction

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Bert and Mamie Take a Cruise by John Keyse-Walker

 

First Lines: Mamie--February 8, 1939-- At sea. No one was more surprised than me when Bert shot the purser.

 

Who knew that you could get rich by growing tomatoes during the Depression? That's exactly what happened to Bert and Mamie Mason. Well, at least they have enough money to slake Bert's wanderlust and desire for adventure. 

Leaving Hills Corners, Ohio, behind, they've boarded the SS Columbus, a glamorous German-owned ocean liner that is scheduled to take them on a cruise around the continent of Africa.

The gregarious couple quickly make friends among their fellow passengers, but when Mamie witnesses something shocking, the couple finds themselves turning detective, dodging Nazis and learning the deep dark secrets of their newfound friends. Somehow, they've got to find a killer, enjoy their cruise, and make it back to Ohio alive.

~

Married for thirty years, Mamie agreed to this cruise around Africa so that her husband Bert could indulge his lifelong passion for adventure-- something you can't find much of in Hills Corners, Ohio. While Bert is hankering for some rip-roaring tales to tell the folks back home, Mamie is the sort who prefers room service, lounging poolside and dancing in the evenings. They are an outgoing couple who rapidly make friends among the passengers and crew, although they would prefer to avoid the Nazis on board.

When Mamie witnesses a crime, the captain of the ship wants to keep it as quiet as possible and uses Bert's experience as a sheriff's deputy (even though it was only for a year and twenty years ago at that) to avoid bringing in the police when the ship arrives at port. Husband and wife make an interesting investigative team, reminiscent of Hollywood's Nick and Nora Charles of The Thin Man movies. While Bert tries to keep his wife safe, Mamie gathers many important clues through her girl talk with the friends she's made on board.

Bert and Mamie are a likable pair, and I enjoyed their give and take. The author's setting of an actual ocean liner and cruise just before the start of World War II brought the story to life and made me wish I could travel along with them as they sailed around the continent, stopping several times along the way for "in-country" trips. All in all, a choice investigation for an armchair traveler like me.

 

Bert and Mamie Take a Cruise by John Keyse-Walker

eISBN: 9781448310166

Severn House © 2023

eBook, 224 pages

 

Historical Mystery, Standalone

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

Nairobi Noir edited by Peter Kimani

 

First Line from Introduction: Nairobi, shamba la mawe-- Nairobi, the stone garden-- is a pithy formulation intimating the city as a place of pleasures and perils.

 

I continue to enjoy Akashic's series of short story anthologies that are set in locations around the world. The fourteen stories in Nairobi Noir are an excellent collection that had me moving from neighborhood to neighborhood within that city. As I moved from place to place, I met Somali refugees and Kenya Cowboys; I confronted life, death, poverty, and love, side by side with people from all walks of life.

 

There's not a single bad story in the entire collection, but I have to admit that two made a profound impression on me. "She Dug Two Graves" by Winfred Kionga is centered on a proverb about revenge, and it's one that I shall never forget: "When seeking revenge, dig two graves-- one for yourself." The second story is Kinyanjui Kombaru's "Andaki." This incredibly powerful story tells readers just what mothers will do to save and to protect their sons who have been falsely accused of crimes. Wow. 

 

More than some of the other anthologies in this series, Nairobi Noir drew me into life in this city in Kenya-- an example of armchair travel at its very best. I look forward to my next trip with Akashic, and if you haven't tried any of the books in this series, I highly recommend that you do so.

 

Nairobi Noir edited by Peter Kimani

eISBN: 9781617757754

Akashic Books © 2020

eBook, 224 pages

 

Short Story Anthology

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Amazon. 

Olive the Lionheart by Brad Ricca

First Lines: This is a true story. For nearly one hundred years, the diaries of Olive MacLeod lay hidden on a locked shelf in Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye.

 

In 1910, Scottish aristocrat Olive MacLeod received word that her fiancé, famed naturalist Boyd Alexander, was missing in Africa. Instead of staying at home, wringing her hands and worrying, Olive set off to find him. She and her companions, the Talbots, found themselves confronting life in Africa in all its many forms. From contrary wildlife to wily tribal chiefs to shadowy colonial powers to an Arab warlord who may hold the key to what happened to her fiancé, Olive's journey is an unforgettable one deep into Africa and her own heart.

 

~

 

I have always had a weakness for the travel tales of Victorian and Edwardian ladies, especially in Africa, and when I learned that Olive MacLeod's diaries had been tucked away on a shelf in Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye for a century, I was hooked. I spent one unforgettable week in the Laundry Cottage, and each morning when I opened the curtains, I looked across a finger of the loch to see Dunvegan Castle towering above me. I simply had to read Olive the Lionheart.

 

Olive kept a detailed record of her travels in Africa. Other than hoping to find Boyd Alexander alive, it was her intention to write a book about him. When it was time to return home, her focus had changed. The book was going to be about herself. And why not? Olive wasn't just on a rescue mission, she was an explorer, the first white person to find various locales like MacLeod Falls which is named for her. 

Olive had to feel like Rapunzel for her long red hair fascinated the native tribes she encountered, and she was constantly asked to let down her hair so they could see it and marvel at it. She adopted two lion cubs that went with her on her travels, and for a time, she also had a young giraffe named Josephine who would attack anyone who raised a gun to shoot something. Finding Boyd Alexander's journals was revelatory for her, sometimes painfully so, and I think reading them was one reason why she changed her focus on the book she wanted to write.

Brad Ricca gives a fully-fleshed portrait of Olive MacLeod, one that is often humorous-- as when she meets a local African queen whom she doesn't think is ugly until the woman refuses to answer her questions-- and sometimes sad. This woman was suffering from grief, depression, and suicidal thoughts, yet she refused to give in, always forging ahead. 

I'm glad I read Olive the Lionheart for Olive MacLeod stands shoulder to shoulder with the other intrepid Victorian and Edwardian ladies I've read about. However, I have a feeling that I'm one of the few people who did not care for the narrator of the book. I found her British and Scottish accents as well as some of her "voices" annoying, and it put me off listening to the book. I'm glad I didn't give up; otherwise, I would not have met this incredible woman.

Olive the Lionheart: Lost Love, Imperial Spies, and One Woman's Journey into the Heart of Africa

by Brad Ricca

Narrated by Billie Fulford-Brown

Macmillan Audio © 2020

ASIN: B082VLHLPB

Audiobook. 11 hours, 31 minutes.

Non-Fiction, Standalone

Rating: B+

Source: Chirp Books

The English Monster by Lloyd Shepherd

First Line: The ancient road began at the Tower and ran east to west along a terrace of gravel.

It's 1811, and from the ancient Ratcliffe Highway to the London Dock, the district of Wapping is the throbbing heart of the British Empire's meteoric rise in trade and the accumulation of wealth. Wapping is also the scene of the gruesome murders of two families, and John Harriott, creator of the newly established Thames River Police soon realizes two important facts.

The first fact is that petty jurisdictional squabbles are getting them nowhere. The second fact is that, after close observation of his waterman-constable, Charles Horton, Harriott believes that the old methods of policing aren't going to find the killers either; it's Horton's style of "detection" that Harriott believes will bring the murderers to justice.

The English Monster isn't just a story about the hunt for the killers of two families; however, there's another story told in alternating chapters that is intertwined with the investigation throughout. It is the story of William Ablass, a young Oxfordshire man who goes to Plymouth in 1564 to board a ship and make his fortune so he can come home and buy a farm for his beloved young wife and himself. He becomes a member of Jack Hawkins' crew, sanctioned by the Queen to raid Spanish shipping. "Long Billy" (as he's often called) changes in ways he never would have foreseen.

Shepherd's tale of the quest for trade and fortune is well-told, atmospheric, and often quite chilling. The growth of Wapping and the entire area of the Docklands in London sets a perfect stage for Long Billy, John Harriott and Charles Horton-- a man with his own secrets that come back to haunt him:

Death and beer always hang heavy in the air in Wapping.... And hulking over the whole area, visible through gaps in the buildings like a canvas on which Wapping has been painted, the walls of the new dock and its surrounding warehouses.... But even Harriott must admit that there is something massively dark about the dock, something of the gaol about its walls and the warehouses between it and the river, buildings which now glower over the High Street , each of them a good storey or more higher than the older buildings which cluster around the walls like supplicants at a cathedral.

Under the observant eye of Shepherd, Wapping and its docks become just as important a character as Long Billy, Harriott, Horton, and the other people who live there.

As much as I wanted Harriott and Horton to find the killers, I have to admit that the story of William Ablass was the one I found to be engrossing... and creepy. There are things about Long Billy that I'd love to share with you all, but that would ruin the book for you. Shepherd's tale is Dickensian in its detail and atmosphere, and the only real weakness in his story is that, when he shifts the focus to the 1811 investigation of the murders in the book's later stages, I missed the gaps in William Ablass's story. In many ways, Long Billy reminded me of a great white shark, and it didn't feel natural for me to turn my back on him.

Yes, William Ablass is the the English monster of the title, but as I read, I learned that there is more than one monster in this tale, and that is what money and greed have done to us all throughout the centuries. I still feel uneasy after reading The English Monster. It is a book that stays with the reader long after the last page is read. I've since learned that Shepherd has another book, The Poisoned Island, due out next year. I definitely want to read it!

[Note: The cover, quote, and information about The English Monster refer to the UK edition of this book. It is also available in an US edition.]

The English Monster, or The Melancholy Transactions of William Ablass by Lloyd Shepherd

ISBN: 9780857205377 (UK Edition)

Simon and Schuster Ltd © 2012

Paperback, 432 pages

Historical Thriller

Rating: B+

Source: Simon and Schuster UK

Viral by James Lilliefors

Title: Viral
Author: James Lilliefors
ISBN: 9781616950682
Publisher: Soho Crime, 2012
Hardcover, 336 pages
Genre: Thriller
Rating: C+/B-
Source: the publisher, in exchange for an honest review

First Line: Cloud shadows carpeted the African countryside as a privately owned matatu rattled along the dusty lorrie route toward the capital.

In remote, impoverished areas of Africa, a deadly virus is moving through farming villages and shanty towns like a well-honed scythe leaving no survivors. The vaguest of rumors about this swirl through the rest of the world. Only a former CIA operative, Charles Mallory , with the help of his brother, investigative reporter Jon, seem able to put the clues together to learn that someone is putting plans into motion-- plans to create a new, technologically advanced society. Will the brothers be able to stop a bold and terrifying "humane depopulation" before it goes any further?

This book is not your typical thriller; there's a lot to digest in its pages. In a very real way, it's a two-pronged cautionary tale: telling us of what may happen if we keep ignoring the Third World, and of what obscenely wealthy people think they're entitled to do-- all in the name of "good". At its best, this cautionary tale can make your blood run cold.

But as a thriller, it doesn't quite run like a well-tuned machine. The cast of characters is too large, and they're scattered all over the place. It's difficult to get a fix on any of them and care what happens to them.

Of the two main characters, younger brother, Jon, is the more sympathetic. Jon hasn't really had any contact with his brother Charles in years, but Charles suddenly begins sending him riddles obliquely referring to their childhood that Jon is expected to decipher. Since his life depends on his decoding speed, it's good that Jon's up to the task. The scenes with Jon in Africa are particularly chilling and heartbreaking.

On principle, once I knew who the villains were and what their goals were, I detested them, but they were too shadowy for me to make that feeling personal. The villains just weren't "real" enough.

The pace of the book is also glacial at times. The author's story takes so long to put into place and is so detailed that I found myself wanting to put my foot down on the accelerator and speed things up a notch or two.

There are many things to like about Viral; when the scenes are in Africa, it can chill your blood and break your heart, but it never really involved me to the degree that it should have. I always felt removed from what was happening, and I really wanted to feel as though I were right in the middle of it all, fighting the good fight. All this being said, I have to admit that I am curious about any future adventures of the Mallory brothers. James Lilliefors is an author to watch.

Treasure of the Golden Cheetah by Suzanne Arruda

Title: Treasure of the Golden Cheetah
Author: Suzanne Arruda
ISBN: 9780451227898
Publisher: NAL Hardcover, 2009
Hardcover, 368 pages
Genre: Historical, Amateur Sleuth, #5 Jade del Cameron mystery
Rating: A
Source: Purchased from Bookcloseouts.

First Line: The woman astride the poppy red Indian Power Plus motorcycle would have been considered beautiful in many cultures.

When I saw that there was a new Jade del Cameron mystery out, I knew I was running behind. Sure enough, there was Treasure of the Golden Cheetah sitting on my shelves staring balefully out at me. Although I do try to keep one unsampled volume of favorite mystery series on hand, I don't want to get too far behind the story. Off the shelf came the book, and I began to read.

It's Kenya in 1920, and Jade finds herself hired on as second-in-command on a safari run by Harry Hascombe. Hascombe has agreed to take a Hollywood film crew to Mt. Kilimanjaro to make a movie based on an ancient legend of King Solomon's lost treasure. Before they even have a chance to leave Nairobi, the producer is stabbed to death by a native who then commits suicide. This death throws a pall over the entire expedition which, once it begins to climb Kilimanjaro's slopes, is beset by deadly hoaxes and serious accidents. Before this is all over, Jade will be glad that she's accompanied by the young healer Jelani and her pet cheetah, Biscuit.

At one time I referred to these books as a guilty pleasure and my "Saturday Matinee Reading". It is past time for me to say that they have involved into much more than that. Jade-- although still talented, beautiful and headstrong-- no longer behaves as though she's ten feet tall and bulletproof. Arruda has done an excellent job in researching the area and the era. (For example, this book had the added bonus of showing us what train travel was like in the Africa of 1920.)  The character of the young Kikuyu, Jelani, not only gives us a look at native life and customs but allows us to see how natives were treated by the white people who ruled the roost.

I enjoy the early motorcycles and airplanes, and being on safari with a Hollywood crew of actors and technicians was in turn funny and exasperating, as Jade discovered: "Sweet Millard Fillmore. Can't these people be left alone for more than five minutes without someone having a hissy fit?"

An added, enjoyable, plot thread is the relationship between Jade and pilot/ filmmaker Sam Featherstone. Both of them are a bit too stubborn for their own good. Neither of them want to live alone. They love each other. But Sam won't think outside the box and Jade refuses to even look inside the box as far as making that final commitment to each other.

This entire series has been a fascinating journey, and I can't wait for it to continue in the next book, The Crocodile's Last Embrace.

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