Lovers of cozy mysteries and The Antiques Roadshow (both US and UK versions) are bound to love this mystery series by Sharon Fiffer. It definitely deserves more attention!
Jane Wheel, recently estranged from her husband and laid off by her PR firm in Chicago, is making ends meet by working as a "picker" for an antiques dealer. As someone whose kitchen is loaded with Bakelite and vintage tea towels, who's never met a piece of McCoy pottery that she didn't like, this is perfect therapy. Trouble is, she keeps finding mysteries to solve along the way.
Jane's crime solving takes her from the Chicago area further south into Kankakee, Illinois, and readers are given many tips about garage sales, flea markets, estate sales, and collectibles. (I wouldn't be at all surprised if many don't go rummaging through their attics after reading one of these books.) But the information to be gleaned about collecting "stuff" isn't the only reason to read this series. The mysteries are solid, the setting takes me right back to growing up in Illinois, and there is an excellent cast of characters.
The books in the series are:
- Killer Stuff (2001)
- Dead Guy's Stuff (2002)
- The Wrong Stuff (2003)
- Buried Stuff (2005)
- Hollywood Stuff (2006)
Click on the book cover collage at the top of this post to be taken to Fiffer's entry on Fantastic Fiction for more information on the books and buying options. If you like cozies and collectibles, you should enjoy this series!
Iain Pears, better known for writing books like An Instance of the Fingerpost, has also written a mystery series that deserves a lot more attention. Called the Art History series, it features Jonathan Argyll, an English art dealer, and Flavia di Stefano of the Art Theft Squad in Rome, Italy. Pears' background as an art historian shows in this series, creating mysteries that are involving and filled with interesting information . The two main characters are well-drawn, and their interaction with each other is one of the draws of these books for me. If you like mysteries spiced with fun characters, Italian and other European settings, and art, you can't go wrong with this series.
1. The Raphael Affair (1990)
2. The Titian Committee (1991)
3. The Bernini Bust (1992)
4. The Last Judgement (1993)
5. Giotto's Hand (1994)
6. Death and Restoration (1996)
7. The Immaculate Deception (2000)Want more reading recommendations of books that have been forgotten or just plain deserve more attention? Head on over to Patti's blog, Pattinase, for her Friday's Forgotten Books feature!
I love reading mysteries, and some of my favorite series are those that combine my love of whodunit with other interests. Kate Ellis is an author who's combined my love of mysteries with my love of history and archaeology in her series set on the southern coast of England. The series features Detective Sergeant Wesley Peterson, a happily transplanted London copper, his boss, the delightfully scruffy Detective Inspector Gerry Heffernan, and his friend, archaeologist Neil Watson.
While Peterson is busy solving crimes in the port town of Tradmouth, his friend Neil always seems to be digging up a centuries-old puzzle that somehow ties in with the present day case. Ellis skillfully weaves together both the old and the new into page-turning whole cloth, but that's not all that's good about this series. Her characters are ones that become a joy to follow. They're fully fleshed, flaws and all, and I have to admit wanting to shake some sense into Wesley's wife a time or two!
If you like mysteries with a strong thread of history and archaeology running through them, or if you've enjoyed the books written by Deborah Crombie or Martin Edwards, give Kate Ellis a try. She certainly deserves much more attention. The series currently contains thirteen books and begins with The Merchant's House, The Armada Boy, and An Unhallowed Grave. If you click on the graphic at the top of this post, you'll be taken to Kate Ellis' page on Fantastic Fiction where you'll learn more about the series.
To learn about other good books that deserve more attention, check out the entire list on Patti's weekly feature Friday's Forgotten Books on her blog, Pattinase.
South Dakota resident Kathleen Taylor is a freelance knitwear designer who's written one of the funniest mystery series I've ever read, yet few people have heard of it. With the popularity of mystery writers such as Janet Evanovich, this just doesn't set well with me!
Taylor's main character, Tory Bauer, is a waitress in a small South Dakota town. She's overweight, divorced, and lives in a trailer with her femme fatale friend and co-worker, Del, and Del's young son, Presley. What sets this series apart is its razor sharp characterizations, its spot-on depiction of life in small town America, and the witty (and often hilarious) repartee. Taylor isn't afraid to have "real" characters. These people have faults. They don't always make the right decisions. As a result, I cared about them all the more.
The books in the series are:
- Sex and Salmonella (1996)
- The Hotel South Dakota (1997)
- Funeral Food (1993)
- Mourning Shift (1998)
- Cold Front (2000)
- Foreign Body (2001)
If you're in the mood for a cozy mystery series that's heavy on characterization, setting and humor, you can't go wrong with Kathleen Taylor's Tory Bauer. The books may be a bit more difficult to track down, but they are well worth the effort. It's been five years since I've read these books, yet the characters and Delphi, South Dakota, are still with me. (I've also not been able to hear Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass without a twinkle in my eye and a big smile on my face!)
If you'd like to see more recommendations of books that deserve never to be forgotten, don't forget to check out Patti's weekly series on her blog, Pattinase!
David Cole has written a series of mysteries that definitely deserves more attention. The central character, Laura Winslow, is a half-Hopi, one-time-Ritalin-abuser computer hacker who lives on the run in various locations within Arizona. Not only does she fight her own personal demons, she feels compelled to fight against injustice wherever she finds it--which can be tricky indeed when she trusts no one. The first books in the series find her very edgy, very distrustful, but as the series continues, she notches small victories against her anxiety disorder, and she begins to nurture something that's been missing from her life: personal relationships, and this adds even more dimension to her character.
I enjoy these mysteries for the setting, the plots which center on political and social issues within the "shadow land" of the US-Mexico border, and for Laura herself. If you like mysteries set in the desert Southwest that deal with very real issues and Native American themes, and also have a strong female lead, give David Cole's series a try. You'll be glad you did.To find more books that have flown beneath the radar, check out Patti's series, Friday's Forgotten Books, on her blog Pattinase.
Spanning just four books, this mystery series didn't receive the attention it should have. K.J. Erickson's main character, Marshall "Mars" Bahr, is a divorced dad struggling to do the right thing for his eight-year-old son, Chris. He's also the Minneapolis police detective that gets called on to solve the Twin Cities' toughest crimes. Erickson has a deft hand with nicely convoluted plots and brings in just enough background and history to the setting to make it come to life. Where Erickson really shines is with his characterization of Mars and his son. Of all the mystery series I've read, I'd be hard pressed to think of another one with such an engaging and memorable relationship.
The four books in the series are:
- Third Person Singular (2001)
- The Dead Survivors (2002)
- The Last Witness (2003)
- Alone At Night (2005)
Erickson's website has not been updated since 2006, when the first chapter of a yet-to-be published book was posted. Although the reason for the abrupt end to this series is unknown, at least the author wrote four books that I really enjoyed, remember and recommend. One of these days, I hope to read that a new K.J. Erickson novel has been published.
With the advice and encouragement of Tony Hillerman, college chemistry professor Paul L. Gaus began writing a series of mysteries set in the Ohio Amish community that certainly deserves more recognition.
Gaus' main character, Professor Michael Branden, has close ties to both the county sheriff's office and the Amish community, and the six books in the series find him exploring various facets of Amish life such as banishment and Rumschpringe while he searches for the bad guys. These books have good, solid plots, well-drawn characters, and tell the reader much about the Amish way of life.
There are six books in the series to date: Blood of the Prodigal (1999), Broken English (2000), Clouds Without Rain (2001), Cast a Blue Shadow (2003), A Prayer for the Night (2006), and Separate From the World (2008).
The author also has a blog, the Ohio Amish Journal.
If the measure of the power of a book is the length of time it stays with you, then these two true crime books written by Vincent Bugilosi twenty-five years ago are indeed powerful and deserve never to be forgotten.
It was so quiet, one of the killers would later say, you could almost hear the sound of ice rattling in cocktail shakers in the homes way down the canyon.
So begins Bugliosi's mesmerizing book Helter Skelter about Charles Manson, his followers, and their southern California crime spree in the 1960s. I still remember reading this book shortly after it was published. I was enthralled throughout, oblivious to the world around me; in turns horrified, sickened, "creeped out"... but never once willing to stop reading. Bugliosi introduced me to the minds and the world of people I did not know existed, and he made me want the answer to that age-old question, "Why?" This book holds the same power over me today.
It had rained during the night, one of those warm tropical showers that leaves the air heavy and sweet.
And the Sea Will Tell begins in 1974 on the island of Maui. It is the true story of two couples, one wealthy and married, the other an ex-con and his hippie girlfriend, who separately set sail for a remote South Pacific island. Only two of the original four live through the experience, and by book's end, I felt rather weak and shaken myself. Bugliosi once again wrote a book that spellbinds and stands the test of time.
If you'd like more excellent reading suggestions, head on over to Patti's excellent weekly series Friday's Forgotten Books on her blog, Pattinase!
Many mystery lovers enjoy reading books centered on Native American cultures and landscapes. Tony Hillerman led the way with his superb Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee series. But what can one do once all of Hillerman's novels have been savored? One series that has flown beneath the radar is definitely worth reading: Kirk Mitchell's mysteries featuring Bureau of Indian Affairs Investigator Emmet Quanah Parker and his partner, FBI Special Agent Anna Turnipseed.
Mitchell, an ex-California SWAT cop formerly assigned to the reservations of Inyo County, writes books that are layered with authenticity and fascinating Native American lore. The five books in the series take the two main characters from coast to coast, and they cover topics such as Indian gaming, ancient relics and land disputes. Parker and Turnipseed are two strong, multi-faceted characters that are every bit as interesting as the plots and the locales.
If you'd like to learn more about books that have been forgotten and deserve more attention, head on over to Patti Abbott's weekly series Friday's Forgotten Books on her blog, Pattinase!
If you enjoy a good historical mystery and have yet to have the pleasure of meeting the Countess Ashby de la Zouche and her maid, Alpiew, you're in for a treat. I've never understood why Fidelis Morgan's series of four mysteries set in Restoration London aren't popular. Say what you will about people not enjoying history, I know there are historical mystery fans out there, and they should love these.
Fidelis Morgan has a keen interest and knowledge of Restoration England, and it shines through her Countess Ashby de la Zouche mysteries. This series is one of the best I've read for placing the reader in the life and times of a particular era. But setting is not all in these books. The characters are wonderful, the plots involving, and the humor laugh-out-loud funny throughout.
There are four books in the series. Click on the cover of each to read more information about that book.
Unnatural Fire introduces us to the Countess and her household staff. A former mistress of the deceased King Charles II, the Countess has fallen on hard times and is forced to earn her living by reporting for a scandal sheet. A woman hires her to follow her unfaithful husband, and the Countess soon finds herself implicated in a murder.
The Rival Queens finds the Countess still being pursued by bailiffs wanting to collect on her debts. With the law hot on their heels, they hide in a lecture hall where an actress is murdered. The Countess and Alpiew now not only have to avoid the debt collectors, they have to find a murderer.
The Ambitious Stepmother is a woman who'll stop at nothing to get rid of her stepdaughter--including hiring the rather unreliable Countess as chaperone when sending the young girl off to the exiled English court at St. Germain outside Paris. The Countess and Alpiew find themselves unraveling plots against kings, tasting strange culinary eccentricities, and meeting mysterious prisoners from the Bastille.
Fortune's Slave is the fourth (and so far, final) book in the series. (I'll never give up hope!) For once the Countess has money to spare and, caught up in the current craze for speculating in stocks and shares, she decides to invest her money. Of course her path to greater riches is destined to be anything but smooth.
Speaking of speculation, there have been rumors that at least one of these books is going to be filmed in the UK. Given the right screenplay and casting, they would be absolutely marvelous. It's impossible to read about the Countess without visualizing each and every scene.
How much do I like Morgan's series? I became a member of Paperback Swap a few months ago and have been busily sending books to new homes. However, I will never send away the Countess and Alpiew. They have a permanent home on my shelves.
If you're looking for good books to read that have unaccountably flown beneath the radar, check out Patti Abbott's excellent weekly Forgotten Books series on her blog, Pattinase.
23 Shades of Black (1998) is the debut of a mystery series with one of the most interesting characters around: Filomena Buscarsela. "Fil" was born in a remote village in Ecuador, is a single mother and a New York City cop. She has the tough and somewhat weary attitude of a person who's had to deal with the scum of the earth a few too many times. In this book, her night shift begins by breaking up a scuffle over drugs, responding to a toxic leak at a food-stamp center, and helping a rape victim through the justice system.
Something about that leak doesn't seem right to her, and when Fil finds out that it may have been sabotage and a key witness has died under suspicious circumstances, she decides to investigate on her own time.
Filomena is a breath of fresh air in the noir mystery genre. She sees the United States from an outsider's point of view, and her wisecracking commentary on anything from politics to art to social trends is often laugh-out-loud funny. She loves her daughter to distraction but wants to make detective, so she's constantly trying to give both heartfelt commitments 110%. Fil is one of the most believable female characters written by a male that I've come across.
The series continues with Soft Money (1999), The Glass Factory (2000), Red House (2001) and Blood Lake (2002). K.J.A. Wishnia has written a mystery series that definitely deserves more recognition.
To get more tips on some excellent reading, don't forget to stop by Patti Abbott's blog, Pattinase for her Forgotten Books series!
If you're looking for something good to read and you want to venture away from best sellers, Patti Abbott's series, Friday's Forgotten Books is a wonderful place to find some gems. Head on over to her blog now!
This week I'd like to spotlight an historical mystery series that has flown below most people's radar: P.F. Chisholm's Sir Robert Carey books. Patricia Finney fell in love with the real life Sir Robert, a courtier at Queen Elizabeth's court and decided to center a series of mysteries around him, written under the nom de plume of Chisholm. The mysteries take place on the border between England and Scotland in the town of Carlisle at the end of the sixteenth century. The Borders at that time were well known to be hot spots of lawlessness. I know this myself because I had ancestors on the Borders. I think any time they wanted a new horse, some sheep, a few head of cattle or a bride, they just saddled up, rode off, and went "shopping".
Finney brings this period to life, not only with the setting and her own brand of social commentary, but with brilliant characterizations. Sir Robert Carey is at the head of the line, but many minor characters sparkle, too. Setting, action, mystery, characters--all this and humor that can have you laughing out loud.
Chisholm's books are published by the Poisoned Pen Press here in Scottsdale, Arizona. There are four books in the series so far. I've been saving my copy of A Plague of Angels like it's my last dollar, but in researching this article, I discovered that a fifth book is in the works. It won't be long now before I'm savoring that fourth series book!
The books in the Sir Robert Carey series are:
A Famine of Horses: In the year 1592, Sir Robert Carey, a handsome courtier, comes north to Carlisle to take up his new post as Deputy Warden of the West March. He has wangled his appointment to be nearer his true love, a married woman, and farther from the still eye of his Queen and the disapproving eye of his father. And of course, there's the money....Sir Robert is quick to realize he won't see a profit from the perks if he fails to keep the peace. Alas, he is quickly challenged by the murder of a local lad, the possible betrayal of a disappointed rival, the ire of the as-yet-unbetrayed husband, and the question of the horses--hundreds of horses being stolen from all over the lands lying between England and Scotland.
A Surfeit of Guns:One black night in 1592, Carey is on night patrol along the unsettled border anchored by the garrison in Carlisle. It's a disaster. First, there's the fugitive he has to hand over to the warring Scots. Next come Wee Colin Elliot's sheep stealers. And then a gun explodes and takes off the hand of one of Carey's men. Back in Carlisle, Carey soon learns more faulty guns lie in the armoury in place of the sound weapons shipped in from Newcastle only last week. When these explosive deathtraps are stolen, he sets off in pursuit of both batches of guns--and the thieves.
A Season of Knives: The rowdy Grahams plan to kidnap Elizabeth as she journeys home to her husband. While Sir Robert storms out to stop them, someone murders the man he has just sacked from his post of paymaster to the Carlisle garrison. When Sir Robert returns, he finds his servant Barnabus slung into the castle dungeon, accused of the crime, and his arch enemy Sir Richard Lowther scheming to have Carey arrested for masterminding the murder....
A Plague of Angels: Carey is on difficult terms with his powerful sire, Henry, Lord Hunsdon. Hunsdon, son of Anne Boleyn’s elder sister, Mary—and probably of a young King Henry VIII—swings a lot of weight as “cousin” to Queen Elizabeth. But Hunsdon needs his ingenious younger son, Carey to sort out the difficulties his elder son has got himself into as an innocent party in a plot to discredit the family.
Patti, on her blog Pattinase, has a wonderful series titled Friday's Forgotten Books in which people share books and authors that they feel have either been forgotten or just plain deserve more attention than they're getting. Some excellent reading has been shared, so if you haven't checked out this series, head on over to her blog!
An author whose books I'd like to share with all of you is Stan Jones. A native Alaskan, Jones has written a series of mysteries centered on Alaska State Trooper Nathan Active who patrols the coldest beat in America: the tiny Inupiat village of Chukchi north of the Arctic Circle. Active, born in Chukchi, was adopted by two white schoolteachers in Anchorage. This has left him with feelings of resentment toward his birth mother and loathing for the village in which he was born.
When you open the pages of one of Jones' mysteries, you find yourself immersed, not only in an intriguing whodunit filled with multi-dimensional, interesting characters, but also in a language, a culture and a landscape that mesmerize. Jones does such an excellent job in portraying the landscape and weather north of the Arctic Circle that I have a tendency to read his books only in the blast furnace heat of a Sonoran Desert summer while lounging in the pool.
There are three books in the Nathan Active series with a fourth planned for 2009. The published books so far are:
White Sky, Black Ice: In his first big case with the Troopers, Nathan comes to suspect that the suicides of two Chukchi villagers aren't suicides at all, but murders intended to cover up environmental crimes. He solves the mystery, but not without a little help from a bingo-loving aana, or Inupiat grandma.
Shaman Pass: The return of an ancient mummy to Chukchi triggers a murder that leads Nathan to the mummy's original burial site in Shaman Pass, a spot so wild, remote, and forbidding that the winds there are said to kill caribou.
Frozen Sun: At the request of a despairing mother, Nathan reluctantly sets out to find Grace Palmer, a long-lost village beauty whom he knows only from her pictures. He ends up face to face with an agonizing question: Is Grace Palmer dead, or is the woman with whom he’s falling in love a cold-blooded killer? His drive to find the answer will cost him his relationship with his longtime girlfriend and nearly destroy his career before he finally solves the mystery of the haunted and haunting Grace Palmer.
I count Stan Jones as one of my favorite mystery writers, and one who deserves a much wider audience. I'm looking forward to the fourth book in the Nathan Active series:
Village of the Ghost Bears: A fire kills eight people at Chukchi's recreation center and there are almost no clues as to who set it, or why. A state arson investigator who flies into the village to sift through the ashes gives Nathan a piece of advice that turns out to be prophetic: "Find out who he was after, and you'll find out who he is." Before he can do that, Nathan must untangle a baffling web of connections involving outlaw Bush pilots, the illicit trade in polar bear gall bladders, and a schizophrenic poacher who claims to be channeling the spirit of his dead twin sister. Coming in September 2009.
