The Rise by Ian Rankin

 

First Line: Gish arrived at The Rise on her mountain bike, so had no trouble parking.

 

The Rise is the newest residential tower that stands on some of London's most prestigious real estate. Only multi-millionaires need apply for one of the sumptuous apartments in this building that looms over Hyde Park.

 

When the night concierge is found murdered in The Rise's lobby, its elite residents come under police scrutiny-- something they definitely are not accustomed to.

 

Continually obstructed by locked doors, the rules of diplomatic immunity, and an apparent lack of motive, investigating officer Detective Sergeant Gish has her work cut out for her to find the killer.

 

 

 

~

 

 

Ian Rankin's The Rise is a deftly written, swiftly paced story that has a lot to say about the London property market and the types of people who live in exclusive buildings. The cast of suspects is varied and interesting, and I did like DS Gish. 

 

The bottom line? This story was fun to read but altogether too easy to figure out.

The Rise by Ian Rankin

eISBN: 9781662515347

Amazon Original Stories © 2023

eBook, 86 pages

Short Story

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Fogged Off by Wendall Thomas

First Lines: January 2007. "Jack the Ripper had it made."

When travel agent Cyd Redondo finds herself responsible for bringing home the body of Shep Helnikof, client and Jack the Ripper expert, she wastes no time flying to London to cut through all the red tape and get the job done. What she doesn't expect is the fact that Shep's death was not due to natural causes; it was murder.

Cyd has a lot to keep her occupied on this trip to London. She was forced to bring along her uncle, Leon Spartacus Redondo, and her Aunt Helen has charged her with keeping a close eye on the man. That's not going to be easy since Uncle Leon vanished the second his feet touched British soil, and he won't return her calls. Getting Shep's body back to Brooklyn is proving problematic as well, and Cyd is beginning to think the only way she'll achieve her goal is to find Shep's killer herself. And-- as if she needed anything else to worry about-- she and her formidable Balenciaga purse run headfirst into a rodent smuggler.

Disappearing uncles, unemployed actors, Shep's former girlfriends, incompetent Embassy employees, amorous rodents... will Cyd ever find the time to actually enjoy her first trip to Jolly Olde England?

~

Do I ever love this series! When I'm reading the latest adventures of Wendall Thomas's Cyd Redondo, I forget that I have to spend an hour a day hooked up to a (sometimes painful) machine. Instead, I'm laying there smiling, chuckling, and sometimes laughing loud enough that my husband comes into the room to find out what's so funny. The humor, the references to old movies, the characters, the mystery... everything weaves together into a winning combination that will brighten anyone's day.

Cyd is front and center. This is her show, and I love her voice. For a travel agent, she's done very little traveling herself, and I have to admit that I enjoyed watching her as she traveled the streets of London-- seeing places she'd discussed and booked for her clients and dreamed about, learning that the first floor isn't the same floor in England as it is in the United States... and who knew that closets were American? 

No mention of Cyd Redondo is complete without her Balenciaga bag, the bag that MacGyver would kill to possess. It is even gaining a reputation. Don't believe me? Well, one character confronts Cyd and tells her, "I don't trust you. I trust your purse." All women should be so lucky to have a purse like Cyd's. Armed with such handbags, it would only be a matter of days until women ruled the world. Maybe even the universe.

Cyd's uncle and aunt add even more spice to the tale, especially Aunt Helen. All I can say is mess with the Redondos at your own peril. And don't forget that no Cyd Redondo adventure is complete without a critter. This time it's Bruce, the Casanova of rodents. So not only do I want a Balenciaga, I want a Bruce, too.

If you're in the mood for a good mystery filled with wit and humor, do yourself a favor and read all of Wendall Thomas's Cyd Redondo mysteries. Start with the first, Lost Luggage, enjoy your way through Drowned Under, and finish off with Fogged Off. Then you and I will be in the same boat-- waiting to see what Cyd Redondo gets up to next. This is a series that's good for what ails you. Do not miss it!

Fogged Off by Wendall Thomas

ASIN: B09D4145XK

Beyond the Page Publishing © 2021

eBook, 241 pages

 

Humorous Mystery, #3 Cyd Redondo mystery

Rating: A

Source: the author, Net Galley

The King's Justice by Susan Elia MacNeal

First Line: Each incoming tide of the Thames brought another layer of debris, and, when the waters receded, mysteries could be found buried in the silt.

Not many people would consider defusing bombs in London as a relaxing break from spying, but then they aren't Maggie Hope. Her war began with being Winston Churchill's secretary and her resume has grown since then. However, everything she's done has taken a toll on her.

In an effort to avoid thinking about some of the things she's done (or that have been done to her), she finds herself enjoying living life on the edge: defusing bombs, riding a motorcycle at breakneck speed on London's bombed out streets, drinking too much, smoking too much. Her friends see the change in her, but they don't know what to do.

When she's asked to look into the theft of a Stradivarius, one of the finest violins ever made, Maggie can't resist, although she found it easy to refuse to help with the manhunt for a serial killer who's targeting conscientious objectors. Little does she know that she's the only one who can uncover the connection between the robbery, the murders, and a link to her own past.

I've been a fan of Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope series since the very first book, Mr. Churchill's Secretary, and it's been a joy to watch it get stronger with each new book. The King's Justice follows this trend. As always, MacNeal can easily put us right in the middle of wartorn London by inserting facts about the Tower of London being hit during the Blitz, giving names and histories to the ravens at the Tower, mudlarking, and defusing bombs (which reminded me of watching Anthony Andrews in Danger UXB). But it was what I learned about conscientious objectors that had the most effect on me, and I really liked how it was woven into the story.

As much as I learn about World War II and the people who fought in it by reading these books, it's the character of Maggie Hope who always brings me back. She's quite simply amazing. Starting out as rather naive, she's grown so much, learned so much, and her quick wits and steely resolve have gotten her out of more than one hair-raising circumstance. The thing that I like about Maggie the most is-- regardless of what she's done-- she's not Wonder Woman. Bullets don't bounce off her. Everything she's done, everything she's experienced, has had an effect on her, and in The King's Justice, we see it all coming to a crisis point. She's got what we now call PTSD, and how she realizes it and how she works through it is one of the best parts of the book.

By the book's end, Maggie has a new adventure awaiting her, one that I'm really looking forward to. That's about the only bad thing about a wonderful series like the one Susan Elia MacNeal has created: the interminable wait for the next book. If you're new to the series, you can read this as a standalone, but I strongly advise against it. You'll miss too much just in character development alone. Start with Mr. Churchill's Secretary. (You can thank me later.) As for all you fellow Maggie Hope fans, rejoice! You've got another excellent book to savor!

The King's Justice by Susan Elia MacNeal

eISBN: 9780399593857

Random House © 2020

eBook, 352 pages

Historical Mystery, #9 Maggie Hope mystery

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

Death in the Air by Kate Winkler Dawson

First Line: The teenager carefully avoided broken shards of glass, barely held together by cracked window frames, as the mist dampened her hair.

London is almost synonymous with fog, but the fog/smog that held one of the world's great cities hostage for five long days was something completely different. Mass transit came to a screeching halt, some criminals went on breaking-and-entering sprees, and 12,000 people died. But the deadly fog wasn't the only killer on the loose. So was a nondescript little man named John Reginald Christie who killed at least six women.

Parts of Kate Winkler Dawson's Death in the Air reads like the best fiction. People trying to navigate the streets when visibility was down to one yard. Buses and automobiles not being able to move. People dying because they can't get to the hospital, and doctors are swamped with house calls and can't get to their patients in a timely manner. And then there's John Reginald Christie, a quiet little man most people wouldn't look at twice, who was on a killing spree of his own.

Dawson's research is fantastic, both in explaining the physical causes of the deadly smog and in sharing survivors' (often heartbreaking) stories. Of course, there was a government coverup, but once the facts started coming out, it's easy to see how serial killer John Reginald Christie has been overshadowed by this horrendous pollution-- pollution that killed 12,000 people. The only bright side to the smog was the clean air legislation that began to be implemented around the world.

Death in the Air is an often spellbinding narrative about a dark time in history, but it does bog down in the details from time to time. In fact, I think the book would have been stronger if the author had left out Christie altogether. I'd heard about the smog many times, but now I really appreciate knowing exactly what happened. If you're interested in this period of time, give it a read. It's good.
 

Death in the Air: The True Story of a Serial Killer, the Great London Smog, and the Strangling of a City by Kate Winkler Dawson

ISBN: 9780316506861

Hachette Books © 2017

Hardcover, 352 pages

Non-Fiction, Standalone

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen.

To Sir, With Love by E.R. Braithwaite

First Line: The crowded red double-decker bus inched its way through the snarl of traffic in Aldgate.

Rick Braithwaite, World War II Royal Air Force pilot and Cambridge-educated engineer, finds himself accepting a teaching position in London's East End. His pupils are angry, unmotivated, bigoted white teenagers who've been mostly abandoned by the system. When his efforts to teach them are met with derision and suspicion, he takes a whole new approach that will lead to one very remarkable school year for teacher and pupils alike.

I must be on a sentimental journey involving some of my favorite films and the books they were based on. First, it was The Shrinking Man, and now it's To Sir, With Love. 

This time, the book compares very favorably to the movie. In the book, we see everything through the eyes of "Sir" instead of being an outsider-looking-in as we are in the movie. There are several things that were either glossed over or not even brought up in the movie-- in many cases I think the filmmakers wanted the audience to use common sense to realize, for instance, that the reason why Braithwaite could not get an engineering position was due to racism, not the fact that there were no jobs available. In fact, almost everything relating to racism was left out of the movie, no doubt in an effort to make it palatable to the greatest number of moviegoers.

My final verdict? I still love the movie starring Sidney Poitier; I always will. But I am very glad that I read E.R. Braithwaite's autobiography. In reading the book I feel as though I've gotten much closer to learning the entire story while the movie gives me the Reader's Digest condensed version.

To Sir, With Love by E.R. Braithwaite

eISBN: 9781480457492

Open Road Integrated Media © 2014

Originally published in 1959.

eBook, 185 pages

Autobiography

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

 

Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler

First Line: It really was a hell of a blast.

When a bomb rips through the Peculiar Crimes Unit in London and claims the life of eighty-year-old detective Arthur Bryant, his partner John May faces the end of a partnership that lasted over fifty years. Bryant's death also seems to have ties to their very first case during the Blitz in World War II. May finds his old friend's notes of that very first case and becomes convinced that the past has returned... and it has a score to settle.

The city is being bombed almost nightly, but a faceless killer is stalking London's theaters. This is a criminal who has an uncanny ability to escape detection, and it will take all of Arthur Bryant's unorthodox techniques and John May's dogged police work to catch him. But how on earth could the killer have returned after all these years?

I first tried to read Full Dark House shortly after it was published during my first trip to the UK. I think I was on sensory overload because I did not care for the book at all. But then I read White Corridor, the fifth book in the series, and it became one of my best reads last year. This encouraged me to start at the beginning again.

Full Dark House has a complex mystery that I enjoyed trying to solve, and along the way, I also learned plenty of theater lore. Another very strong point in the book was the excellent feel for life in London during the Blitz that Fowler gives us. The smell of unwashed bodies (since so many water lines had been bombed). Walking through the streets during the blackout trying not to fall in any craters. The spectral walls of blasted buildings looming in the darkness. Sewage lines being hit and emptying themselves out in the subway system. I like books that add to my knowledge of social history.

There was also the pleasure of getting to know the young Bryant and May, and of enjoying Fowler's sense of humor. Bryant and May are quite the pair, and I'm going to enjoy working my way through this series. The only thing that really didn't work all that well for me in Full Dark House was the transitions between the present-day and World War II timelines. Many's the time I found myself stopping to figure out what year it was.

Am I glad that I read this book again? Yes, I am. I'm also glad that I have quite a few left to read. I'm looking forward to a long and pleasurable association with Bryant and May.

Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler

eISBN: 9780553900415

Bantam Books © 2003

eBook, 387 pages

Police Procedural/Humorous, #1 Bryant & May mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon. 

This Is How It Ends by Eva Dolan

First Line: This had been a happy home once.

The building is nearly empty, the inhabitants being forced out of their homes in a London neighborhood by property developers. Two women are giving it their all to save the building and the residents' homes. One, Ella, is a young, idealistic, impassioned blogger. The other is Molly, a seasoned campaigner/protester and photographer.

Both women know that they have very little chance of saving the building, but they refuse to give up-- hoping that their hard work now may save this building and others in the future. Then a body is discovered hidden in an elevator shaft, and that's going to have far-reaching consequences.

I chose this book because I enjoyed the first book in Dolan's Zigic and Ferreira police procedural series, but I have to come right out and say it: This Is How It Ends was just not my cup of tea although there is much good to be found within its pages.

The story is told from the points of view of both Ella and Molly. They are ardent protesters against property developers who destroy neighborhoods and throw long-time residents out on the street in order to put up pretty new buildings for rich people who will probably never even live in the properties they buy. No, these people are buying tax breaks or money laundering schemes, not homes. When Dolan wrote about this, I was fully engaged; she had my blood boiling, and I definitely wanted to join Ella's and Molly's fight to hold off the wrecking ball. There is also a plot twist at the end that I didn't see coming, and I always like it when an author can surprise me like that. These are the bits I liked. Now for what I didn't like.

I didn't like either of the main characters, and I could not have cared less what happened to them. I don't have to like the characters in the books I read, but I do want to care about the fate of at least one of them because it gives me a good reason to keep turning the pages. However, there was something even worse than my lack of feeling for the characters: the unrelenting doom and gloom tone of the entire book.  Now, I can handle doom and gloom if I happen to care about one of the characters, but you already know what happened there.

No, This Is How It Ends just wasn't my cup of tea. But it may be yours, and I sincerely hope it is.

This Is How It Ends by Eva Dolan

ISBN: 9781635570526

Bloomsbury USA © 2018

Hardcover, 336 pages

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: D+

Source: Amazon Vine 

Old Scores by Will Thomas

First Line: I suppose it all began with the garden.

In 1890, the first diplomatic delegation from Japan arrives in London, and Cyrus Barker's beautiful, tranquil Japanese garden has been chosen to show these very important guests. Later that same night, Ambassador Toda is shot and killed in his office, and Cyrus Barker is found across the street in possession of a gun with one spent cartridge. 

He's immediately arrested by the Special Branch for the murder and brutally interrogated for hours until his assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, brings Barker's lawyer and manages to obtain his employer's release. While the British are still convinced that Barker is the killer, the new Japanese ambassador hires him to find the real murderer. This investigation will lead Barker and Llewelyn deep into London's underworld...and deep into Barker's own mysterious past.

Will Thomas's historical mystery series is one that I've been following with pleasure since the very first book, Some Danger Involved. My pleasure is mainly due to the voice of Thomas Llewelyn, who begins as a complete novice to the private enquiry business and gradually becomes quite skilled, thanks to the tutelage of Cyrus Barker. Barker has always been a rather shadowy character, and tiny bits and pieces of his past have to be wrenched out of him, so it was good to see more information was forthcoming in Old Scores. 

Thomas knows how to construct a plot that keeps readers guessing, and his action scenes keep the pace moving right along. I always feel as though I'm walking the streets of the seamier parts of London when I read a Barker and Llewelyn mystery, but I know I'm in safe hands with these two men. If you like strong mysteries that take place in Victorian London, I think you'll find Thomas's series a perfect fit.

Old Scores by Will Thomas

ISBN: 9781250077967

Minotaur Books © 2017

Hardcover, 304 pages

Historical Mystery, #9 Barker & Llewelyn mystery

Rating: B+

Source: the publisher

The Paris Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal

First Line: Only a single small sparrow, hiding in the high branches of the green chestnut trees, dared to pierce the Avenue Foch's eerie silence with her chirps and trills.

Being dressed in Chanel and staying in a chic hotel in German-occupied Paris is a long way from Maggie Hope's beginnings as Winston Churchill's secretary, but she's on two missions: one, to find her half sister Elise who disappeared after escaping from a concentration camp. Two, to find the whereabouts of captured agent Erica Calvert's research, which is vital for planning the Allied invasion of France. These objectives are going to take all of Maggie's talents for deception and spycraft because England's Special Operations Executive has a traitor who is endangering every one of their agents.

I've been a fan of Susan Elia MacNeal's World War II-era Maggie Hope series since the first, Mr. Churchill's Secretary-- and it's almost impossible to believe that was seven "installments" ago! In each book, Maggie has grown from a woman with a talent for mathematics and thinking on her feet to an agent who not only trains new recruits but does dangerous undercover work herself. The entire series is a homage to the incredible sacrifices that so many (sometimes nameless) people made in the name of freedom during World War II. In MacNeal's capable hands, this series is both enlightening and highly entertaining.  

I'm also happy to say that in The Paris Spy, everything comes together with a sizzle; it's MacNeal's best book yet. Occupied Paris comes to life in all its swastika-drenched angst, and the excellent pacing just never lets up. There are some surprising characters who do not behave as one would expect, and there is danger from so many different angles that it's almost impossible to see how on earth Maggie can pull everything together. It's not all derring-do and razzmatazz in The Paris Spy, however. Bad things happen to good people and the things that agents must do change them both inside and out.

This is a perfect book-- and a perfect series-- for fans of historical mysteries featuring strong female characters. (Think Bess Crawford or Maisie Dobbs.) But... if you ever find yourself with a code to crack or the Gestapo closing in, put your money on Maggie. She'll get the job done.

The Paris Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal

eISBN: 9780399593819

Bantam Books © 2017

eBook, 320 pages

Historical Mystery, #7 Maggie Hope mystery

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

The House at Baker Street by Michelle Birkby

First Line: It started with champagne and promises on a sunny afternoon.

Mrs. Hudson is a 48-year-old widow whose only child is also dead. Instead of withering away in the country, she decided to become the landlady of one of the London properties she inherited from her husband. 

Sherlock Holmes has been her tenant for a few years now. Mrs. Hudson knows his habits, has cleaned up all of his messes, and she's upped his rent accordingly. She's also learned a thing or two by sitting beneath the air vent in the kitchen listening to Holmes and Watson solving their cases. 

When Holmes is particularly churlish in turning away Mrs. Laura Shirley, she and Mary Watson unanimously agree to help a fellow woman in need. They'll investigate Mrs. Shirley's case themselves. It doesn't take long for them to realize that Laura Shirley is not the only woman at risk. With the help of the Baker Street Irregulars and Irene Adler, Mrs. Hudson and Mary Watson find themselves untangling a dangerous web of blackmail, libel, extortion, and murder-- a case worthy of the great Holmes himself.

I immediately came under the spell of Mrs. Hudson's voice in Michelle Birkby's wonderful mystery, and when I read the scene on page twelve in which she listens to Holmes through the air vent in her kitchen, I got a smile on my face that never completely went away the entire time I read The House at Baker Street. 

I've never been a fan of Sherlock Holmes. Of his logic and deductive capabilities, yes, but not the man's attitude and behavior toward others. For decades, I've also wanted to know more about Mrs. Hudson. I knew that she could not be a mere Victorian stereotype of an older woman. Just think of all she's had to put up with from Holmes-- and she's never once run screaming into the night. Birkby took all of my questions and suppositions (and much, much more) and turned them into a delightful mystery that is very difficult to piece together. Yes, a book with a pitch-perfect setting, marvelous characters, and a tough mystery to solve-- isn't it great?

Perhaps my favorite quote from the book is this:

I had to prove it, I insisted.

Prove wot?

That I'm not a silly old woman who's only fit for baking cakes! I shouted.

That one quote alone will strike a chord with many readers if I'm not mistaken. The House at Baker Street grabbed me quickly and would not turn me loose. It made me feel a wide range of emotions-- from laughter to dread to fear to sorrow and even anger. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book-- and I won't be waiting for the US edition either. Speaking of which, this will not be released in the US until the end of October. Put it on your wishlist now, but don't worry-- I'll be jogging your memory about it in a few months' time!

 

The House at Baker Street by Michelle Birkby

ISBN: 9781509807222

Pan Books © 2016

Paperback, 352 pages

Historical Mystery, #1 Mrs. Hudson & Mary Watson mystery

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from The Book Depository.

Cruel Is the Night by Karo Hämäläinen

First Line: When Ludwig van Beethoven composed the theme for his famous Bagatelle in A minor, he scarcely could have imagined that it would be playing more than two hundred years later in a luxury flat in London. 

Four Finnish friends meet for dinner in an opulent London apartment. It's been ten years since the host, Robert, has seen his former best friend, Mikko. Their friendship had them parting ways over ideology: Robert the banker made millions off unethical interest rate manipulations while Mikko is an investigative journalist who's dedicated himself to bringing down corrupt financiers and politicians. Rounding out the foursome are Robert's trophy wife Elise and Mikko's wife Veera. 

By the end of the evening, three ringing cell phones go unanswered because their owners are all dead.  Which one survived?

From a fantastic prologue featuring unanswered ringing phones, Cruel Is the Night quickly became a chore for me to read-- despite an added incentive of trying to recognize the Agatha Christie references. The reason why reading this book was such a chore may make some of you sit up and take more notice: it had a cast of characters straight out of Gone Girl. I only lasted twenty-five pages into Gillian Flynn's novel because I wasn't going to waste any more of my life on such repulsive main characters. The cast of Hämäläinen's novel is almost-- but not quite-- as bad as Flynn's, which must be the reason why I was able to finish reading the book. 

In addition to the cast, the pace was glacially slow, inviting readers to decide which character was the sole survivor through acres of backstory, but I really didn't care who walked out of there alive. Cruel Is the Night was just not my cup of tea. Your mileage may vary-- and I hope it does.  
  

Cruel Is the Night by Karo Hämäläinen

Translated from the Finnish by Owen Witesman

ISBN: 9781616956813

Soho Crime © 2017

Hardcover, 320 pages

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: D

Source: the publisher  

The Devil's Feast by M.J. Carter

First Line: The fire in the grate had burned down to a series of glimmering embers in among the drifts of ash, and the room was now dark, save for the candle.

In the London of 1842, the Reform is the newest and grandest gentlemen's club which caters to those whose politics are of the liberal sort. When one of the Reform's members dies horribly on the premises, Captain William Avery is persuaded to investigate. The club is only days away from an extremely important dinner, so it's vital that the entire episode be hushed up as quickly as possible.

Avery, working without his mentor and partner Jeremiah Blake, finds himself up to his eyes in rivalries and hatreds, and not all of them are political. The chef in the renowned kitchen of the Reform is none other than Alexis Soyer, "the Napoleon of food"-- a man whose culinary brilliance is matched only by his talent for self-publicity. Avery could certainly use Blake's help.

In this third Blake and Avery historical mystery, Blake is in a pickle, and this means that young Captain William Avery must be in charge of the investigation at the Reform Club-- something that goes quite against Avery's grain since he is politically conservative. Once again M.J. Carter has created a rich, layered mystery that's even more savory than the dishes that Chef Soyer (an actual person) was known for. The Devil's Feast kept me guessing from first page to last because it takes Avery a very long time to ascertain the true focus of the deaths. Are men being poisoned because of their politics? Is it because of that important dinner? Or does it have something to do with London's first celebrity chef, Alexis Soyer? Avery finds that puzzle very difficult to solve-- especially since he's in danger of being poisoned himself.

And while Avery is trying to solve this mystery, he's trying to help Blake, and he's also being forced to deal with an increasingly difficult wife. Fortunately Avery does have the help of young Matty, the girl readers first met in The Infidel Stain. She not only provides Avery with a great deal of help (risking her own future to do so), she is a mirror in which readers can see the true Victorian London, a city with debtor's prisons and a great divide between the haves and the have-nots. Matty and Blake (who has more of his childhood exposed) are teaching Avery valuable lessons in the true ways of the world.

But The Devil's Feast is no mere fascinating Victorian exposé. Foodies will love the insights into cooking for a prestigious gentlemen's club, and the fast-paced mystery will delight all those who enjoy solving a cracker jack of a puzzle. Carter's Blake and Avery series started out strong and it's getting stronger with each entry. I can't wait to see what's in store next!
    

The Devil's Feast by M.J. Carter

eISBN: 9780698168756

G.P. Putnam's Sons © 2017

eBook, 423 pages

Historical Mystery, #3 Blake & Avery mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley


 

A Cast of Vultures by Judith Flanders

First Line: There was every possibility that I was dead, and my brain hadn't got the memo.

Samantha Clair hasn't even had time to recuperate from her post-book-party hangover when she finds herself right in the middle of a case of missing neighbors and suspected arson.

She's already hot on the trail of the missing neighbor when she learns that the fire did claim a victim. Now she's being followed by a determined pair of thugs. Good thing she has a Scotland Yard boyfriend, a loyal assistant, and a comprehensive knowledge of London's farmer's markets.

There's no simpler way to put this: I love Judith Flanders' Samantha Clair mysteries! Sam and I agree on meetings, shopping, and socializing. Now if I were only one-tenth as witty as she....

The mystery is a good one in A Cast of Vultures, even though the reader quickly learns the identity of the killer. The trick is in deducing why. In addition, Sam's impromptu investigation has some very scary moments in her home and at Kew Gardens-- and they showed me the importance of having a flashlight app on my smartphone.

Flanders also serves up another brilliant glimpse into the world of publishing. This time Sam's publishing house is restructuring in order to save money. The problem is, the experts that have been brought in have no clue what Sam and her co-workers actually do. Sound familiar?

The author (who is also one of the foremost social historians of the Victorian Era) has served up what is, to me, the perfect blend of mystery, the world of books, characters with whom you want to be best friends, wit, and humor. I don't want her to ever stop writing them. They are a delight, and if you haven't read any of them, I urge you to do so as quickly as possible. 



   

A Cast of Vultures by Judith Flanders

eISBN: 9781250087843

Minotaur Books © 2017

eBook, 320 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #3 Samantha Clair mystery

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley  


 

Anatomy of Evil by Will Thomas

First Line: I understand it is said in scientific circles that if one attempts to boil a frog it will jump out of the pot, but if one raises the temperature of the water slowly it will never notice the difference until it is too late.

It's 1888, and the head of Scotland Yard's Criminal Investigation Department is about to take some badly needed sick leave. But first he must do one thing: make England's best private enquiry agent, Clive Barker, and his assistant Thomas Llewelyn temporary envoys to the Royal Family with regard to the series of murders in Whitechapel that are tearing the city of London apart. 

So far the murderer has eluded the finest minds of Scotland Yard, but he's never had to match wits with someone as skilled and intelligent as Barker. Are Barker and Llewelyn going to be able to track down Jack the Ripper before it's too late?

The one killer in all of history who simply refuses to go quietly into that good night is Jack the Ripper. Crime fiction is awash with books about his crime spree and his identity. Most of them are forgettable, but Will Thomas's Anatomy of Evil manages to put a whole new spin on the case and becomes very memorable as a result.  How does Thomas do this?

First, he puts his very unconventional private enquiry agents (Barker refuses to be called a "private detective") Barker and Llewelyn right in the midst of Scotland Yard, combining their skills and contacts with all the information and man power that Scotland Yard has at its disposal. What the two men walk into is a jurisdictional nightmare of infighting and jockeying for position among the higher-ups. Thomas makes this much clearer than so many other fictional accounts have done in the past.

Another area in which Thomas excels is with the murder victims themselves. Many other writers have tended to list the women merely as drunks and prostitutes... and as so much dead meat. Will Thomas gives them a measure of dignity by Barker's and Llewelyn's attendance and behavior at a postmortem and a funeral. Very nicely done, even if some readers may complain that he's giving twenty-first century attitudes to nineteenth century men. People with "finer feelings" certainly existed in Victorian England after all. 

The slower pace of Anatomy of Evil illustrates how exhausting it was to slog through thousands of clues and suspects while trying to prevent the very real threats of riots, pogroms, and more murders, and simultaneously sidestepping the well-meant meddling of Queen Victoria. Of course the book covers the same old ground (how could it not?), but Thomas manages to put a freshness to it that I haven't seen in a long time-- and his choice for the true identity of Jack the Ripper? Well, see for yourself!

If you haven't read a Barker and Llewelyn mystery before, and you love historical mysteries that bring Victorian London to life, you are in for a treat. Since these characters do grow and change, I would suggest that you begin at the beginning with Some Danger Involved. The only thing that's left to say is Enjoy!

Anatomy of Evil by Will Thomas

ISBN: 9781250041050

Minotaur Books © 2015

Hardcover, 336 pages

Historical Mystery, #7 Barker & Llewelyn mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Book Outlet


 

A Bed of Scorpions by Judith Flanders

First Line: The summer was rumbling on the way summer does in publishing, and I was ready to murder someone.

Editor Samantha Clair and art dealer Aidan Merriam have been friends for a long time, so when she learns Aidan's partner in the gallery is dead of a suspected suicide, she's shocked. To make it even worse, the investigation into his death is being led by Sam's new boyfriend, Inspector Jake Field. 

When Aidan asks for her help, Sam finds that she's being pulled apart-- by Aidan and by Jake, who wants her to keep her nose out of it. What's a girl to do but call her mother? 

Now not only are Sam's loyalties being tested, her life is in danger from a killer who wants to keep her from putting all the clues together.

I really enjoyed Judith Flanders' first Samantha Clair mystery, A Murder of Magpies, and I'm happy to say that my enjoyment increased to love with her second book. Everything seems to sparkle in A Bed of Scorpions. Samantha Clair is sarcastic, cynical, and has a ready repertoire of information culled from all the reading she's done. Not all of you may like sarcastic wit, but I love it when it's done well-- and it is here. Sam's got a tough act to follow-- her maternal unit is not only the perfect mother, perfect guest, and perfect hostess, she's also the perfect high-powered lawyer. Watching Sam deal with her mother is part of the fun of this book (and thankfully Helena isn't nearly as abrasive as she was in the first book). Also... promise not to tell... this snarky editor who usually has her nose buried in a book has a secret heart of gold, and she's very capable of doing what's best, even if it's at her own cost.

Sam's other relationships-- with ex-flame Aidan, new flame Jake, and her reclusive upstairs neighbor Mr. Rudiger-- also sparkle, as does the mystery. I did pick up a couple of crumbs as I read. For instance, I thought the identity of the main "bad guy"  was way too simple, but I hadn't picked all the black hats out of the lineup. I also didn't do a very good job in deducing their motivations.

In many ways, I think Flanders' mysteries are perfect for book lovers. Why? Because one of the very best parts of the book is Samantha's wonderful insider's look at the world of publishing. (In fact her knowledge of publishing helps solve the crime.) As she's trying to solve the mystery, Sam also manages to explain many little ins and outs of publishing, which is bound to thrill the book lovers amongst us.

Do you have to start with the first book in the series? Not really, but I hope you do simply because I've enjoyed both of them so much. An extra little bonus is that I realized this time around that I've also read some of Judith Flanders' non-fiction (Consuming Passions, The Victorian House, and The Making of Home) and enjoyed that as well, so... if you're in the mood for some facts after enjoying this banquet of mayhem, I suggest you try those as well!
  

A Bed of Scorpions by Judith Flanders

ISBN: 9781250056467

Minotaur Books © 2016

Hardcover, 320 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #2 Samantha Clair mystery

Rating: A+

Source: publicist