Loot by Aaron Elkins

 

First Line: Altaussee Salt Mine, Altaussee, Austria, April 19, 1945, 11:35 A.M.   Madness.

 

The Third Reich is crumbling to dust, and the Nazis are working frantically to hide the huge store of art treasures that they looted from Europe. With the Allies closing in, the vaunted efficiency of the Nazis has broken down, and in the confusion of endless convoys loaded with treasure, a single truck, its driver, and its priceless load of masterpieces vanish into an alpine snowstorm.

Fifty years later in a Boston pawnshop, art historian and ex-curator Ben Revere makes a stunning discovery-- a Velazquez painting from the legendary Lost Truck. Revere finds himself traveling to the grand cities of Europe to unravel the Lost Truck's history and its treasures-- and running for his life as a result.

~

Sometimes I just need to read a fun little thriller about lost treasure set in exotic locales, and Aaron Elkins' Loot was perfect-- especially since I've read books about the incredible work done by the Monuments Men during World War II. I've often wondered just how many stolen treasures are still hiding deep in mines and other hideaways, but I digress.

This isn't the first book I've read written by Elkins. He seems to have a knack for choosing topics that I'm deeply interested in, but I can't say that I'm a fan of his writing. Loot suffers from an unnecessary love interest and a hero who's more than a little dense when it comes to the safety of himself and others, but the book's fast pace and interesting premise kept me reading happily until the end.

Loot by Aaron Elkins

eISBN: 9781497610095

Open Road Integrated Media © 2014

Originally published 1999.

eBook, 312 pages

 

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Miss Seeton Sings by Heron Carvic

 

First Line: THE WORDS-- what were the words?

 

Scotland Yard asks its famed "MissEss"-- retired art teacher Miss Emily Seeton-- to investigate a respected Geneva bank when a flood of counterfeit banknotes hits the market. 

 

Not entirely sure of what they want her to do and completely new to air travel, mayhem quickly ensues when Miss Seeton boards a plane for Genova instead of Geneva. Crooks and police alike try in vain to keep tabs on her, wondering if she's a genius or merely a senile old lady. And while all these people try to keep her under surveillance, she innocently hums the fraudsters' musical password as she wanders from one place to the next on a very dangerous trail. 

~

I loved the first two Miss Seeton mysteries Picture Miss Seeton and Miss Seeton Draws the Line. So much so that I gobbled up the rest of the books by Heron Carvic to squirrel away when I needed to read something guaranteed to make me laugh. Unfortunately, book three (Witch Miss Seeton) is where the series began to unravel. The author began bringing in multiple plot lines, many more characters, and the humor that I loved so much devolved into farce. As you can tell by that last sentence, I don't really care for farce, humor being so subjective. 

In Miss Seeton Sings, not only are there multiple plot lines and many more characters, Miss Seeton and her lethal umbrella aren't even in her English village anymore-- and her execrable French only had the power to make me smile a time or two. No, Miss Seeton does her best work in her village. 

Although it was amusing to see how she and her umbrella escaped death time and again, I began getting angry with Scotland Yard and the other police agencies who just turned her loose and left her completely in the dark. I know there's some humor in there somewhere that completely escaped me, but I'm not going to worry about it.

I will say that, if you are a lover of farce, this is the book for you. If you're not, you might want to leave it alone.

Miss Seeton Sings by Heron Carvic

eISBN: 9780993576331

Farrago © 2016

Originally published in 1973.

eBook, 274 pages

Cozy Mystery, #4 Miss Seeton mystery

Rating: C-

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Enigma Affair by Charlie Lovett

 

First Line: It wasn't just the bullet passing by Patton's left ear that concerned her.

 

When small-town librarian Patton Harcourt's early morning baking is rudely interrupted by bullets whizzing past her ear and thudding into her brand-new refrigerator, she has little choice but to trust the mysterious assassin who shows up in her kitchen. 

 

While evading two German killers, Patton and the assassin, Nemo, form an alliance that takes them to Bletchley Park in England and then on a white-knuckle chase through Europe. There is something deathly important about an undecrypted message sent on one of the Third Reich's Enigma machines, and Nemo, Patton, and Patton's former lover, Ruthie Drinkwater, must find out what it says before white supremacist Ingrid Weiss does.

 

What does a message about Heinrich Himmler's research into alchemy have to do with the balance of world power? That's what Patton and Nemo must risk everything to find out.

 

~

 

I've read all of Charlie Lovett's books (except his earliest) and enjoyed them all. He became a must-read author for me when I finished his The Lost Book of the Grail. Lovett is a master of the literary mystery; however, The Enigma Affair is a departure for him-- an out-and-out thriller with whizzing bullets, edge-of-the-seat chases, witty repartee, and loathsome villains. I enjoyed every second of it.

The ensemble cast is excellent. It's soon apparent that Patton Harcourt is not your usual small-town North Carolina librarian, and Nemo (once you get a bit of his backstory) is one of the most sympathetic assassins you'll come across. Then there's Ruthie Drinkwater, who works at Bletchley Park; Alex Lansdowne, the owner of a very large collection of Nazi memorabilia; and Jean Simpson, a librarian who finds herself joining this motley crew after she becomes incensed over some stolen library books. As the cast grows-- each member adding an important element to the group's chances for success-- the witty dialogue between them provides laughs and lightens the darkness of the overall quest... because learning about Himmler's brand of alchemy has the power to suck all the light from a room. (On a personal note, if I thought any of the characters to be unnecessary, it was Ruthie Drinkwater, but your mileage may vary.)

If you're in the mood for a chase across Europe to save the world from chaos, hop aboard The Enigma Affair. It's too much fun to miss, and I certainly look forward to what Charlie Lovett will come up with next!

The Enigma Affair by Charlie Lovett

eISBN: 9781665047098

 Blackstone Publishing © 2022

eBook, 367 pages

Standalone Thriller

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Dead of Night by Michael Stanley

First Line: Michael Davidson wiped the sweat off his face, irritated that his hand was unsteady.

When freelance journalist Crystal Nguyen gets the go-ahead from National Geographic to research an article on rhino-horn smuggling, it's the fulfillment of a lifelong dream of visiting Africa. Within a week of landing in South Africa, she's hunted poachers, been hunted by their bosses, and been arrested in connection with a murder. Following a lead, Crystal gets out of South Africa and goes undercover in Vietnam to expose the lynchpins behind the rhino-horn smuggling operation.   

But discovering the plot behind the money is only half the battle. Returning to South Africa, she has to convince authorities to take action before it's too late-- both for the rhinos and for herself. She'll have a powerful story to tell... if only she survives long enough to tell it.

When you read any novel by the writing team of Michael Stanley, you know you're going to be told a fast-paced, exciting story with an incredibly vivid setting and fully fleshed characters. Not only that, you're going to learn a few things along the way. And that's exactly what you get with their thriller Dead of Night.

The authors do us a great service by unfolding all the complexities woven into the problem of rhino-horn smuggling. I have to admit that when I learned how a great deal of the powdered rhino horn is actually used, I had thoughts of putting the buyers into enclosures containing a few disgruntled rhinos that still had their horns. But I digress.

I've already mentioned the fast pace, setting, and characters that are hallmarks of any Michael Stanley story, but I left out one: these two know how to craft a compelling mystery. My little grey cells were given a workout trying to deduce exactly what was going on.

To my way of thinking (and reading), there was only one fly in the ointment: Crystal Nguyen. She had many admirable qualities: she's a talented writer and photographer, she's brave, and she's relentless when it comes to teasing out the clues she finds. But... I found her extremely irritating. One night she's put in charge of the camp where she's staying. With several naive tourists in residence, there was a high probability of issues arising during the night. What does she do? Sleep in the nude so she's got to stumble around in the dark to find her clothes before she can go out and take care of a situation. Smart, eh?

But the thing that almost drove me crazy was the fact that Crystal is told repeatedly by several people who have experience in these matters that you never know who you can trust, so don't tell anyone what you know. Does she pay attention? Heavens, no. She repeatedly ignores the advice... and repeatedly gets herself into life-and-death situations.

I have to say that, although I love Michael Stanley's writing, I hope Dead of Night isn't the beginning of a series because Crystal Nguyen is a character that I wouldn't follow into the next room, let alone out into the bush. But as always-- your mileage can certainly vary!

Dead of Night by Michael Stanley

ISBN: 9781912374250

Orenda Books © 2018

Paperback, 312 pages

Thriller, Standalone

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from The Book Depository.


 

A Well-Timed Murder by Tracee de Hahn

First Line: There was a crowd but none of them mattered.

Still recuperating from injuries she sustained in her last case, Inspector Agnes Lüthi is on leave in Lausanne, Switzerland, visiting the world's premier watch and jewelry trade show with a colleague. Another friend-- Julien Vallotton-- is also there and is looking for her. Vallotton was a friend of Guy Chavanon, a master watchmaker. Chavanon recently died, and his daughter does not think his death was accidental. Shortly before his death, he had boasted that he had discovered a new technique that would revolutionize the watchmaking industry, and his daughter believes someone killed him for it. Reluctantly, Agnes agrees to investigate, not understanding how secretive-- and ultimately dangerous-- the world of Swiss watchmaking is.

This is the second book in Tracee de Hahn's Agnes Lüthi series and like the first book, Swiss Vendetta, the setting of Switzerland in A Well-Timed Murder is particularly well done. I also enjoyed learning about the history of watchmaking, and Lüthi still has her well-developed eye for the telling detail as well as her ability to put all those clues together.

The beginning and the end of this book flowed smoothly and certainly kept my interest, but A Well-Timed Murder, to an even greater degree than the first book in the series, suffers from "too much middle" when the pace drags and the story begins to lose its focus. I'm in a quandry. I truly enjoy the setting and the main character, but I do not like reading a book where I find myself wanting to skim through the middle third. Will I read the next book? I do not know.

A Well-Timed Murder by Tracee de Hahn

eISBN: 9781250110022

Minotaur Books © 2018

eBook, 347 pages

Police Procedural, #2 Agnes Lüthi mystery

Rating: C+

Source: Net Galley

Swiss Vendetta by Tracee de Hahn

First Line: Felicity Cowell fled, her bare feet slapping the cold stone of the corridor.

Wanting to rid herself of all reminders of her old life following her husband's death, Inspector Agnes Lüthi has just transferred to the Violent Crimes Unit from Financial Crimes in Lausanne, Switzerland. On the eve of the worst blizzard the city has seen in centuries, Lüthi is called out to her first homicide. A young woman has been found stabbed to death on the lawn of the grand Château Vallotton at the edge of Lac Léman. An appraiser for a London auction house, the dead woman had been taking inventory at the château, a medieval fortress crammed with priceless works of art and historical treasures.

Lüthi finds it difficult to obtain information from anyone, and as the blizzard rages on, roads become impassable and the power goes out. The inspector is now trapped with all the players in this mystery, out of her depth in her first murder case, and still struggling to cope with her husband's death.

The investigation in Swiss Vendetta only took four days, but it seemed much longer. This is due in part to the claustrophobic weather and the locked room angle of the story, but it's also due to a slow pace that hampers the first half of the book. It was much too soon for Lüthi to lead any sort of investigation, but once the truth surrounding her husband's death is revealed, the pace picks up and the inspector shows a fine eye for detail and for putting clues together.

The author has created a strong, atmospheric setting as well as an intriguing mystery peopled with a varied and interesting cast. From the hidden life of the dead woman to servants who have been loyal to their employers for generations, de Hahn drew me right into the lives of the old nobility who are accustomed to their treasure-filled ancient castles and mansions.

I enjoyed my visit to Lausanne and look forward to Inspector Agnes Lüthi's next case.
    

Swiss Vendetta by Tracee de Hahn

eISBN: 9781250110008

Minotaur Books © 2017

eBook, 320 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Inspector Agnes Lüthi mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Gold of Thrace by Aileen G. Baron

First Line: "I saw it all," the American woman was saying.

Archaeologist Tamar Saticoy has discovered a wonderful Roman mosaic floor in the ruins of a building at her dig in Turkey. In order to be properly studied, it must be very carefully removed and transported offsite. However, the entire floor is stolen overnight. Couple the theft with the murder of a member of the archaeological staff, and Tamar knows something deadly serious is going on, and she wants to get to the bottom of it.

While Orman tries to follow the route of the stolen mosaic, the other director at the dig, Andrew Chatham, has left, traveling to Bulgaria where he finds a hoard of ancient Thracian gold. Tamar finds clues to the mosaic that lead her to Basel, Switzerland and the antiquities dealer, Gilberto Dela Barcolo. Then other members of the team die, and Tamar finds herself deep in a labyrinth of theft and forgery.

Archaeologist Aileen Baron knows how to bring her subject to life. Her settings in Turkey, Bulgaria, and Switzerland, the scenes at the dig, her descriptions of Roman antiquities, and her telling of the legends surrounding the Thracian gold are wonderful. I have a fondness for archaeological mysteries, and Baron's talent at describing the work, the setting, and the rewards are among the very best. The book's foundation is rock solid.

Where the book fell apart a bit for me was in the mystery. Tamar never once impressed me as someone who could go undercover in such a deadly enterprise and come out in one piece. She made rookie mistakes that the bad guys should've noticed immediately. Also, the other three members of the team-- Mustafa, Orman, and Chatham-- scatter in all directions. We seldom know what Mustafa is up to, Orman basically disappears like a wisp of smoke, and Chatham remains as the only other character we get to follow for any distance. These characters and their actions needed to be woven more tightly into the narrative instead of dangling like loose threads.

The mystery is a complicated one. With so much going on, the story needed more than 190 pages to be well told. Just as I thought I was beginning to piece things together, the solutions were presented. Game over.

Although I did have a problem or two with the mystery, there was more than enough in The Gold of Thrace for me to like. I will definitely be looking for more of Baron's books.

The Gold of Thrace by Aileen G. Baron

ISBN: 9781590587737

Poisoned Pen Press © 2010

Paperback, 190 pages

Genre: Archaeological Mystery, Amateur Sleuth, #1 Tamar Saticoy mystery

Rating: C+/B-

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen

The Watchers by Jon Steele

First Line: At first sight, fifty yards off, he couldn't tell who it was walking through the rain, only that the slow-moving form emerging from the shattered village of Neuville-Vitasse was a British soldier.

Just before Christmas in the town of Lausanne, Switzerland, three people will meet in the ancient cathedral beneath which a secret was buried before time began.

Marc Rochat is the young man who calls the hour from the belfry of Lausanne Cathedral each night. He will tell you that he's "strong from the legs up"-- if he's not talking with the cathedral bells,  responding to the mews of Monsieur Booty, his cat, or running away from the bad shadows that are gathering.

The young American, Katherine Taylor, is living the tax-free, designer label dream in Switzerland. An extremely beautiful (and extremely high-priced) prostitute, she's just about to find out that her life is indeed too good to be true.

The third person is private investigator Jay Harper, who wakes up in a hotel room with no memory, a love of watching the History Channel, and a job in Lausanne that he has no choice but to accept.

Three very different people who eventually learn that they have one objective: save what little is left of paradise before all hell breaks loose.

If you're in the mood for something in the wham, bam, thank you ma'am genre, do not pick up this book. You won't like it. However, if you're in the mood for an atmospheric work of art in which each of the hundreds of layers is painstakingly applied until you find yourself lost in the canvas and the close intimate friend of its inhabitants Marc, Katherine and Jay... well, you've picked up the right book.

Steele sets his stage meticulously, so there's not much action until the 250 page mark, but I didn't care because he was bringing the town of Lausanne, its citizens, the cathedral, and those three main characters to living, breathing life. As Harper himself says, "Bloody hell, just keeps getting better."

Steele acknowledges in his book that he wrote the first draft of The Watchers in the belfry loge of Lausanne Cathedral. His writing shows a deep love and appreciation of the ancient timbers and bells. I didn't find it odd that the character of Marc listened and spoke to them. Things that old are going to have stories to tell, and someone needs to listen.

All three characters are beautifully realized, and it's difficult for me to choose a favorite between them. The book has a strong foundation consisting of historic fact, an ancient Jewish text, and the literary classic The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The only thing that didn't win me over completely was the ending. I was ready for something that would knock my socks off, and it fell a bit short-- probably so there would be enough pieces left for the sequels that are to follow!

If you want to pick up a book and lose all track of time, The Watchers is for you.

The Watchers by Jon Steele

ISBN: 9780399158742

Blue Rider Press  ©2012

Hardcover, 592 pages

Genre: Suspense

Rating: A-

Source: Publicist