The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong

 

First Line: November 1918. The familiar light-headedness overtook me.

 

1918. Emmaline Balakin has worked in the Dead Letter Office for a few years now, content to live her life through the books she reads. Then a letter finds its way to her desk that reminds her of someone in her past. Determined to start really living, she volunteers for the Library War Service and is sent to France, but a secret book club she forms may send her home in disgrace.

 

1976. Kathleen Carre is a member of the first coed class at the U.S. Naval Academy, and she's eager to prove to her beloved grandmother-- and everyone else-- that she deserves the honor. However, not everyone wants women in the Academy. When tragedy strikes Kathleen, someone uses this to make her a target, putting her entire naval career in jeopardy. 

~

Both timelines, both stories, in Addison Armstrong's The War Librarian kept me reading. For one thing, I'd had no idea that there was such a thing as the Library War Service in World War I. Furthermore, I hadn't read anything related to the first coed class at the Naval Academy. Those two points alone guaranteed my interest, and I appreciated the author's notes at the end of the book telling of her research.

Both Emmaline and Kathleen are united by more than just their experiences, which becomes clearer as the story progresses. Emmaline comes face-to-face with racism and censorship, while Kathleen has more than her share of gender bias and ignorance. When reading the part where Kathleen and the other women attend a mandatory class in which the male instructor tells them that "The hymen... is often broken during childbirth," I choked as I was swallowing a mouthful of iced tea. Superficially funny, the incidents those women in that first coed class had to face became maddening (and not much different from what women are facing today). 

The War Librarian shows us the power of friendship, of family, of women. There's nothing particularly earth-shattering in its pages, but readers don't always need to be shaken to bits when they pick up a book. What they will find when they start reading The War Librarian is a solid, engrossing read that's a good way to spend an afternoon.

The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong

eISBN: 9780593328071

G.P. Putnam's Sons © 2022

eBook, 384 pages

 

Historical Fiction, Standalone

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

Knit or Dye Trying by Allie Pleiter

 

First Line: My best friend, Margo Payne, was watching me  closely.

 

It's a very good thing to be Margo Payne's taste tester because she makes some of the most heavenly desserts ever put to a fork. And like Margo, Libby Beckett is determined to have her Y.A.R.N. knitting shop shine during Collinstown's festival. Libby has planned an event featuring artisan fiber dyer Julie Wilson who's known for her work with animal-friendly, plant-based knitting fibers as well as her brilliant use of color. Libby is hoping that she'll have a large crowd for a special dyeing workshop.

But things begin to unravel as the festival begins. A flock of protest sheep parades down Main Street herded by farmers against Wilson's anti-wool stance. Then Wilson's celebrity chef sister shows up and the sisters' long-standing feud is loudly renewed. Despite this, the workshop is sold out, and Libby is thrilled. But the night before the event, Julie Wilson is found dead, her witty workshop title "Watch Julie Wilson Dye" now creepily prophetic.

Once again, Libby has her hands full trying to catch a killer.

 

~

 

I fell in love with the first Riverbank Knitting cozy, On Skein of Death, but I have to admit that this second book, Knit or Dye Trying suffers from a bit of a sophomore slump. I enjoyed what I learned about plant-based knitting fibers, but the amount of knitting featured was dialed way back compared to the first book. As obnoxious as Julie Wilson was, I have to admit that I wish we could have seen her at work before she shuffled off this mortal coil.

It seems as though too much of my reading lately has involved toxic families of some size or shape, and one features prominently here. I'm afraid I've reached my saturation point with them, and that had an impact on my opinion of the book. I'm also worried about something. Two out of two books in this series have dealt with the guest of honor at one of Libby's events being murdered. Pleiter needs to have something different happen in book three, or readers will begin thinking that Y.A.R.N. is really located in Cabot Cove.

I did enjoy the character development here. I like the fact that Libby is standing firm and insisting on some boundaries between her and her mother. It's realistic-- sometimes this is something that must be done to preserve a person's sanity. And I also really enjoy teenage Jillian, the girl Libby taught to knit in On Skein of Death. Jillian represents the future of knitting, and she shows how such a venerable craft can be kept thoroughly up-to-date through social media. If Jillian were a real person, I think I'd subscribe to her Youtube channel.

I may have had concerns with Knit or Dye Trying, but I'm still looking forward to the next book to see if any of those things are addressed. I hope they are because I can still feel the glow from reading the first book in the series. This is one that I want to have last for a good long time.

Knit or Dye Trying by Allie Pleiter

eISBN: 9780593201817

Berkley Prime Crime © 2022

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #2 Riverbank Knitting mystery

Rating: B-

Source: Net Galley

On Skein of Death by Allie Pleiter

 

First Lines: So it's more than 'yarn'?" the young woman staring at my shop sign asked. "The letters...stand for something?"

 

After a painful divorce, Libby Beckett is fortunate enough to return to Collinstown, Maryland, to follow her passion: opening her own yarn shop. The name of the shop is Y.A.R.N. which stands for You're Absolutely Ready Now, and there is a blackboard in the shop to encourage patrons to devise their own versions of the acronym. 

Libby has worked hard to create a series of events that will not only put her shop and Collinstown on the map but will also further the career of Norwegian knitwear designer Perle Lonager. The events are turning into quite a big deal which angers obnoxious Chamber of Commerce president George Barker-- especially when Mayor Gavin Maddock decrees a Collinstown Yarn Day to celebrate. 

 

But it all turns to tragedy when Perle is found murdered on the stage of the local theater. Libby feels responsible for letting the town down, but most of all she wants justice for the talented young woman whose life was cut short. Does Libby have what it takes to be an amateur detective and capture a killer?

 

~

 

I think I've finally found the perfect knitting-themed cozy series for me. I had a big smile on my face as I turned the last page of Allie Pleiter's debut Riverbank Knitting mystery, On Skein of Death. It is a wonderful blend of mystery, character, setting, and knitting. 

In the other knitting-themed cozies that I've read, knitting is usually nothing more than the hook to entice readers to buy the book. You're lucky if the characters look at a skein of yarn or pick up a knitting needle once or twice during the course of the book. But On Skein of Death has knitting firmly woven into the story. If Libby's shop were real, I'd be making a bee-line for it and would undoubtedly spend way too much money there. When Libby can't sleep or needs to clear her mind so she can think, she picks up her needles and knits. She teaches a thirteen-year-old to knit and encourages a stressed-out businesswoman to take up needles, too. There are also dollops of yarn bombing and illusion knitting. But it's not only instances like these that put the knit and purl into On Skein of Death, it's the language Pleiter uses. She lets us know that knitters rarely get upset at delays because delays are just opportunities to whip out knitting projects and add a few rows. Libby also finds out that this investigation has "more twists and backtracks than it does to turn a sock heel."

But before you begin to think that there's nothing but needles and yarn to On Skein of Death, there's an interesting group of suspects for Libby to learn about. Was the killer the strange young man who showed up to the first event? Was it Perle's "what's in it for me" beady-eyed editor? Was it...? I enjoyed the mystery even though the identity of the killer was no surprise. (Unfortunately, I've watched too many episodes of Forensic Files.) 

Pleiter has also created a stellar cast of characters that bodes well for future books. Libby's outlook on life and her passion for her shop and knitting will warm your heart. She's also good at making friends and developing useful contacts, and she's not one to take unnecessary risks. Gavin Maddock is Collinstown's mayor and Libby's high school sweetheart, and Gavin's thirteen-year-old daughter Jillian is a little jewel. Libby's mother Rhonda and her friends (known as "the Gals") provide plenty of humor. and then there's Frank the police chief and his receptionist Angie whom I hope to see more of in future books. Good gravy, I forgot one of the most important characters! Hank the English bulldog is Y.A.R.N.'s mascot and quite skilled at modeling sweaters and being your best buddy when you're in dire need.

As you can see, I've fallen head over heels for On Skein of Death, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in the series. You really don't even have to be interested in knitting to enjoy this book. Find out for yourself!

On Skein of Death by Allie Pleiter

eISBN: 9780593201787

Berkley Prime Crime © 2021

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #1 Riverbank Knitting mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Mystery Stories by Elizabeth Peters

This is a collection of three short stories written by Elizabeth Peters. As a teenager, I enjoyed the books she wrote under the pen name Barbara Michaels, but it wasn't until I was an adult that I read one of her Amelia Peabody books (which really didn't grab me).

"Liz Peters, PI" is about a woman crime fiction writer/private investigator who has a friend drop dead in front of her in her own home. I loved the voice of Liz and laughed when she invoked the name of "St. Kinsey." This is a Christmas-themed story and did warm my heart.

"The Locked Tomb" is one of her ancient Egyptian-themed mysteries involving the robbery of a sealed tomb. I found this to be the least enjoyable of the three, primarily because it was so easy to deduce who robbed the tomb and how.

The third story is "The Runaway," about two teenage girls who ran away from home and have sought shelter in a derelict farmhouse out in the country. Not only did I like the voice of the younger sister, but I also found the story to be creepy and perfect for Halloween reading.

Did these stories tempt me to continue to read Elizabeth Peters? Only time will tell! 

Mystery Stories by Elizabeth Peters

eISBN: 9781504055505

Open Road Integrated Media © 2018

eBook, 86 pages

Short Stories

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

Lone Wolf by Sara Driscoll

First Line: The world whipped by in a blur of color.

As part of the FBI's elite K-9 unit, Meg and Hawk can find themselves anywhere at a moment's notice. Hawk is a pro at sniffing out bodies-- alive or dead-- and he and Meg are certainly put to the test when a bomb rips apart a government building on the National Mall in Washington, DC. 

After working non-stop to locate and save those buried in the rubble, Meg and Hawk are being hailed as heroes, but they cannot rest on their laurels. The bomber is still at large, more bombs are detonated, and the body count is rising. The partners are now part of a task force dedicated to stopping the killer, but it's going to take all their wits and survival skills to bring this reign of terror to an end.

We're beginning to see an upsurge in mysteries featuring working dogs, and I'm glad. Whether they're police dogs, war dogs, or search and rescue, dogs bring a whole new dynamic to crime-solving duos. Having read some excellent mysteries featuring human/canine teams (from authors such as Margaret Mizushima, Robert Crais, and James Rollins) I eagerly picked up Sara Driscoll's Lone Wolf. 

"Sara Driscoll" is actually the writing team of Jen Danna and Ann Vanderlaan, and Lone Wolf is the first book in the FBI K-9 series. The two have set up quite a good cast: Meg and her canine partner Hawk, Meg's sister Cara, Brian and his canine partner Lacey, and two men providing a bit of romantic interest, Clay McCord and Todd Webb. There is some interesting interplay between these people, and I especially liked the fact that Meg is the sort of character who's willing to go above and beyond the call as well as think outside the box. Also-- wonder of wonders-- the bosses in Meg's division are good, something that seldom seems to happen in crime fiction.

The final action scene is a good one, but I felt there were a couple of hiccups in the book. The pace is uneven, and there are some awkward bits where we're allowed inside the mind of the bomber only to have his thoughts interpreted by the good guys in the next chapter. This is not only needless, it slows down the action. Perhaps the biggest hiccup for me was the dogs themselves.  There wasn't enough "canine presence" to suit me during the actual manhunt. Yes, we get to "interact" with Hawk and Lacey in the dog park, and the authors use K-9 search terminology as chapter headings, but I'd really like to see more of the dogs working the actual case.  I'm very interested in seeing what happens in the second book in the series.
      

Lone Wolf by Sara Driscoll

eISBN: 9781496704429

Kensington Books © 2016

eBook, 304 pages

Police Procedural, #1 FBI K-9 mystery

Rating: B-

Source: Net Galley   


 

The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman

Title: The Most Dangerous Thing
Author: Laura Lippman
ISBN: 9780061706516
Publisher: William Morrow, 2011
Hardcover, 352 pages
Genre: Suspense
Rating: A-
Source: Publicist

First Line: They throw him out when he falls off the barstool.

Something happened one summer in Baltimore that made five best friends go their separate ways throughout the rest of school and on into their adult lives. When one of them dies and the rest slowly come together for the funeral, they begin to learn that the past never stays buried. It must be dealt with or there will be unwelcome consequences.

Once again Lippman does an excellent job at building suspense (just what happened that summer???) and diving into character and motivation. Those remembered days of childhood are every bit as clearly delineated as the present day trials the characters all have as grownups.

This book is a bit of a rarity for me-- and it's all due to Laura Lippman's skill as a writer. You see, I really didn't give a rap for any of the characters. There's not one single person in that book that I liked. If this leads to you believe that I hated this book, I wouldn't be surprised. But I did like it. Lippman makes that mysterious thing that happened on that long ago summer so compelling that I couldn't stop reading. I had to find out what happened and which of the characters were responsible.

Normally this character-driven reader prefers to have at least one character to like, respect, or admire.  In the case of The Most Dangerous Thing, I kept thinking to myself, "You're all one big batch of messed-up people. What did you do to get that way?" Lippman answered my question in one beautifully written page after another.

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The Girl in the Green Raincoat by Laura Lippman

Title: The Girl in the Green Raincoat
Author: Laura Lippman
ISBN: 9780061938368
Publisher: William Morrow, 2011
Paperback, 176 pages
Genre: Private Investigator, #11 Tess Monaghan mystery
Rating: A
Source: Publicist

First Line: "I am being held hostage," Tess Monaghan whispered into her iPhone.

In this eleventh outing for Baltimore private investigator Tess Monaghan, she is in the third trimester of her pregnancy and forced to endure bed rest. During the day she is ensconced on a chaise longue on her sun porch, and in homage to one of my favorite books (The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey) and one of my favorite movies (Hitchcock's Rear Window), Tess finds herself paying more attention to the people in the park across the street than she does the books, magazines and DVDs she has at hand.

In particular she pays attention to one pretty woman and her dog, both of whom are dressed alike in green raincoats. One day the woman and her dog arrive for their walk and only the dog comes back. The woman has disappeared. Tess knows something's wrong, but since she can't investigate she must enlist the aide of friends and employees like Dorie and Mrs. Blossom. It's a good thing Tess is lying down because she's just opened a big can of worms.

I only made Tess's acquaintance in December, reading the first book in the series, Baltimore Blues. Even though I'm usually a stickler for reading series books in order, I couldn't resist this one. Was I confused by the nine unread books in between? Not really, because Lippman is a pro at giving the reader enough information not to feel lost. It's obvious to me that plenty has happened in Tess's life in those nine books, and reading The Girl in the Green Raincoat has whetted my appetite to go back and fill in the blanks.

This is short and fast and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved the conversations Tess would have with her unborn child (whom she usually referred to as "Fifi"):

Don't ever settle, Fifi. Don't get married just because it's still marketed as the ultimate achievement for women.

On the other hand, learn to value men for something other than their paychecks.

Very wise words, Fifi. You'd do well to listen to them. If you're a fan of Tess's-- or even if you're not-- The Girl in the Green Raincoat is one fine mystery.

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Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman

Title: Baltimore Blues
Author: Laura Lippman
ISBN: 9780380788750
Publisher: Avon, 1997
Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth, #1 Tess Monaghan mystery
Rating: B+
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: On the last night of August, Tess Monaghan went to the drugstore and bought a composition book-- one with a black-and-white marble cover.

After her paper, The Baltimore Star, folded, reporter Tess Monaghan endures jobless months by putting in hours of rowing on the river and by putting her faith in the comfort of routine. When her rowing buddy "Rock" Paxton wonders about the change in his fiancee and hires Tess to follow Ava, Tess needs the money so she agrees. Eva is having noontime trysts with another lawyer, Michael Abramowitz, and when Abramowitz turns up dead, all fingers point right to Tess's friend.

After reading and enjoying Lippman's standalone hits such as I'd Know You Anywhere and What the Dead Know, reading the first book in her Tess Monaghan series was only natural. After reading Baltimore Blues, I think Lippman could probably find her way around Baltimore blindfolded, and she wrote of the city in a way that made it interesting and intriguing-- and without an over-dependence on street names which can pull me right out of a story.

Tess is a multi-faceted character, and not all of the facets are likable. She's bright, she's talented, she's capable, but when she lost her job as a reporter, it seems to have knocked the wind-- and the desire-- right out of her. If she can't have what she wants, she's willing to settle for whatever happens.

She has a strong cast of characters around her who truly care for her, and they've been watching her, wondering when in the world she's going to snap out of her funk. To their credit-- and Lippman's-- when they reach the point of no return, they tell Tess a few home truths, but it's done with love. Characterization like that can be tricky, but Lippman does it perfectly.

Good plot, good pacing, good setting, good characters? I now know that, whatever Lippman writes, it's Good!

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I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman

Title: I'd Know You Anywhere
Author: Laura Lippman
ISBN: 9780061706554
Publisher: William Morrow, 2010
Hardcover, 384 pages
Genre: Thriller
Rating: A
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program

First Line: "Iso, time for---"

After living in England for six years, 38-year-old married mother of two Eliza Benedict has returned with her family to Bethesda, Maryland. In their affluent neighborhood having lived in England has a great deal of cachet.  Her teenage daughter, Isobel, is turning into an angry, snobbish stranger while her young son, Albie, is still a lovable little boy who's eager to please. The last thing Eliza ever expected was a letter from Walter Bowman waiting in the mailbox for her.

Back in 1985 when Eliza was fifteen, she was kidnapped and kept for weeks by Walter Bowman as he made a endless road trip through a tri-state area. She is there when Walter abducts and murders another teenage girl, but fortunately is rescued and returned to her parents and sister shortly thereafter. Naturally this experience has had repercussions on Eliza's life and relationships ever since.

Walter is now on death row and ostensibly wants to make amends before his execution. He uses as go-between an advocate for prisoners, Barbara LaFortuny. Eliza knows he has a different agenda-- as she has her own. Lippman alternates chapters between the present and Eliza's nightmare back in 1985, and what unfolds is a masterful novel about fear, manipulation and survival.

After such a horrendous experience, everyone has had the tendency to close ranks around Eliza to protect her. Who wouldn't? But Eliza learns that one of the consequences of this protection is that she's given up a lot of control over her own life.

I love the way Lippman holds each character up to the light like a prism, and moves that prism a bit at a time, uncovering nuances of behavior and thought that had previously been unseen. It's the major reason why opinions about characters can change the further one progresses into the book. The more one sees the character, the more one thinks, and a more reliable opinion is formed. Lippman even had me wavering over Walter Bowman's character until she'd twisted that prism around a few more times.

If you like reading a novel that worms its way into your mind with brilliant plotting and nuanced characterization, I'd Know You Anywhere is a book for you.

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The Confederate General Rides North by Amanda C. Gable

Title: The Confederate General Rides North
Author: Amanda C. Gable
ISBN: 9781416598398, Scribner, 2009
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: "Get up, baby," Mother says. "We're going on an adventure."

It's the 1960s, and eleven-year-old Katherine McConnell's mother is most definitely taking her daughter on an adventure. Without a word of good-bye to anyone, Kat's mother has her pack a bag and then they hop in the car for a road trip north to Boston and Cape Cod, where Margaret McConnell grew up. Margaret plans to open an antique shop, and they're going to make stops along the way to buy merchandise for the store.
Kat is dragging her feet a bit, especially when she's told that she can't say good-bye to her father or grandparents, so to sweeten the deal, her mother tells her that Kat can be in charge of the itinerary. This makes Kat's eyes shine because she daydreams of being a Confederate general in a spotless uniform riding a beautiful horse. If Kat plans the itinerary, she's going to make sure they stop at as many Civil War battlefields as they possibly can.

Mother and daughter haven't gone many miles down the road before the reader has a very strong feeling that something's up... and that Katherine McConnell is a very special eleven-year-old girl. Her obsession with the Civil War isn't the run-of-the-mill obsession of a horse-crazed tomboy. Kat uses her knowledge of the Civil War and its generals as a coping mechanism:

The Confederate general often feels very alone; after all, everything is up to her. Even if she gets advice from her staff, the decisions are hers. She can't reveal her uncertainties to anyone. Her men and her staff need to be confident in her, confident in her abilities; it wouldn't be good for them to know about the times that she is unsure and confused. To know that she questions her own resolve.

The farther the road trip progressed, the more foreboding I felt. Would an eleven-year-old be able to deal with what I felt was coming? It's been a while since I've been this involved with characters in a book, but Kat and her mother had me wound up tighter than an eight-day clock. By the end of The Confederate General Rides North, I wanted to hug the stuffin' out of Kat McConnell-- and author Amanda C. Gable. Gable's debut novel had me very emotionally involved from beginning to end, and that doesn't happen very often. I'm looking forward with great anticipation to her next book.