Land of Shadows

This is another first read for a previously unknown author, Rachel Howzell Hall, but I will definitely look for subsequent books; this is the first of a series featuring Black female detective Elouise Norton, known as Lou to her colleagues in the south L.A. homicide squad. There are 3 further installments featuring this character as well as several other thrillers with different protagonists in Howzell Hall's body of work, many of which have received notable mystery prize nominations.

Library Journal says this about the book: "Lou Norton's life changed irrevocably the day her older sister went missing from their Los Angeles ghetto neighborhood. Decades have passed, but Norton, now a homicide detective with the LAPD, is still haunted by and fixated on the unsolved crime. When Lou is called to her old neighborhood to investigate the death of a young girl, she becomes convinced that the crime was committed by the same person who took her sister so long ago... Hall's ... promising series debut introduces a black, female lead in the male-dominated world of the LAPD. The author has fun playing with stereotypes and has developed a strong and likable protagonist. The story shines during Lou's flashbacks to her childhood, which are filled with heart-wrenching memories that make the wisecracking detective more accessible." 

Publishers Weekly praises, "A racially explosive Los Angeles provides the backdrop for this exceptional crime novel from Hall (A Quiet Storm). Elouise "Lou" Norton, an LAPD homicide detective known on the street as "Lockjaw," has solved 90% of the cases she's led. She's a smart, sassy black woman, "sweet as apple pie... laced with arsenic and rusty razor blades," bedeviled by the 25-year-old disappearance of her sister, Tori, and torn asunder emotionally by her straying husband, Greg. Lou is also saddled with a brash newbie partner, Colin Taggert, in a case involving a murdered Jane Doe that Lou suspects is tied to her sister's fate. Dead-on dialogue and atmospheric details help propel a tale full of tormenting moral issues. If the bad grow so close to the good, how do the cops weed them out? And how do we right all these wrongs? Lou, a brave lady in a brave book, does the best she can."

Booklist describes the protagonist this way: "Lou is a good cop and fun to watch great instincts, a no-nonsense interviewing style, and uncompromising in her efforts to catch the bad guy. She's a well-rounded character who can keep her sense of humor even when her work hits painfully close to home. As she tells her partner, I'm sassy, but not Florence-the-Jeffersons'-maid sassy. ...here she moves easily into the suspense genre where hopefully she... will stay for a long time to come."

Kirkus concludes their brief review, "This first procedural from Hall (A Quiet Storm, 2002, etc.) combines a conflicted, gutsy heroine and a complex, many-layered mystery." 

Two Times Murder: A Quiet Teacher Mystery

Never read anything by Adam Oyebanji, but who can resist a book where the author description on the back cover says, "was born in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire. He recently took the big step of moving east to Edinburgh by way of Birmingham, London, Lagos, Chicago, Pittsburgh and New York: a necessary detour, because the traffic otherwise is really, really bad. A graduate of Birmingham University and Harvard Law School, Adam works in the field of counter-terrorist financing, helping banks choke off the money supply to rogue states, narcotics empires, and human trafficking networks."

Moreover, the cover description of the protagonist is this, "Greg Abimbola is many things. He's Black, British and fluent in Russian. He's a snappy dresser, a reasonable teacher, and an unenthusiastic sports fan. But most of all, he's exceptional at keeping secrets. Like, who he really is, and the things he's done." Abimbola is a Russian--and occasionally French--language teacher at a private boys' school in Pittsburgh. He has been relocated there under the Witness Protection Program, but he has recently been found by a Russian agent and who knows where that will lead--probably to hell, he figures, given his background. This is the 2nd book in his "A Quiet Teacher" series and previously he defended an assistant janitor at the school in a murder case by finding the actual culprit. She is a computer whiz and forever in his debt, which is good, because he's a total Luddite when it comes to anything technical. When the police come calling to ask for his assistance in identifying a murdered man pulled out of the river, he is reluctant as he may actually know too much about the victim. But his discovery by Russian agents and then a seemingly unrelated 2nd murder pull him inexorably into the investigations.

Publishers Weekly offers these observations: "Oyebanji...serves up a fun if far-fetched second thriller featuring spy--turned... teacher Greg Abimbola. ...Greg remains a unique and appealing protagonist--a Black Russian with a keen eye for detail and conflicted feelings about his homosexuality--and Oyebanji utilizes him well, especially when Greg explains his deductions like a 21st-century Miss Marple. The plot's locked-room mystery and espionage thriller elements make uneasy bedfellows, however..."

Kirkus is more unreservedly praiseworthy: "as in Abimbola’s first foray into detection proved in A Quiet Teacher (2022), his code of honor makes it impossible for him turn his back on those who need him. Oyebanji makes the unimaginable not only credible but compelling by exposing Abimbola’s rich inner life and setting it against the struggles of those who rely on him for help, most of whom can’t get out of their own way, but nevertheless command readers’ sympathy for their challenges. Oyebanji’s puzzles are well-crafted and his solutions ingenious, leaving readers with both a sense of satisfaction and an appetite for more. Not to be missed."

Booklist says, "It's a pleasure to watch the deductive razzmatazz, but readers can't forget that dying can hurt: amidst the drama is a solemn moment of discovery where we get to see the heart's behavior during the fall, impact, and death. The first novel of the series was presented, and received, as a mix of John le Carré and Agatha Christie, and now Oyebanji adds some Arthur Conan Doyle into the mix."

Extinction

This book by Douglas Preston takes place in an exclusive private enclave deep in the Colorado mountains, where scientists are working to bring back to life extinct species such as mammoths and sloths. Only the uber-rich can afford to vacation there and watch the animals come down to the lake at feeding time. Then a young couple of newlyweds is savagely killed on an overnight outing, but their bodies have disappeared. 

Booklist summarizes, saying that the book has "echoes of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. In a resort park, extinct animals are brought back to life using cutting-edge science, but in no way is this a retread. In fact, for quite a while, it's a murder mystery. A billionaire's son and wife are murdered inside the resort by ecoterrorists, or so it seems. But, as Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Frances Cash and sheriff James Colcord will discover, there may be other, frighteningly nonhuman forces at work."

Kirkus concludes their review: "The action seldom lets up, and readers will feel the mounting tension and excitement. The setting itself is a scientific wonder, and it must tie into the murders somehow. Meanwhile, Hollywood is filming an action movie in the park, and the pièce de résistance will be the spectacular explosion of a train. But wouldn’t you know, Preston has other plans. Imagine Jurassic Park with the timeline brought forward to the Pleistocene, and you have the Erebus Resort. Science, imagination, storytelling, and action are all here. Fast-moving fun and a highly creative plot."

Publishers Weekly also weighs in with a favorable review: "Preston tweaks the “resurrected species go haywire” trope with a series of ingenious plot twists, and his well-rounded characters make this more than a knowing genre exercise. The results are as smart and spine-chilling as the best of Michael Crichton."

Interference

Although I was unfamiliar with author Brad Parks, he has written a dozen books and won the prestigious Nero and Shamus awards. This was a book I had a hard time putting down. In spite of being baffled by the quantum mechanics that are the plotline thread here, I was willingly led down a couple of red herring paths, only to be surprised at the ending. From the book jacket: "When her husband, a quantum physicist, goes missing in the midst of a strange, violent seizure, Brigid Bronik discovers that his research had gained unwanted attention and wonders if the very same physics that endangered him could actually be used to save his life."

Reviews are positive including from Library Journal, which calls this a "tightly bound thriller" and provides this summary, "...Matthew Bronik, a renowned Dartmouth physicist with a specialty in quantum mechanics, has been suffering from mysterious seizures. His groundbreaking research has drawn the attention of many, including foreign governments and a young millionaire entrepreneur who sees the work as the next step in humanity itself. But when Matthew disappears on the way to the hospital after another seizure, Brigid, his librarian wife, battles sinister forces to track him down. She enlists the help of Matthew's Dartmouth assistant, Sheera, herself entangled with the research, and a gruff local police detective to help provide answers and to bring him home...Parks, better known for character-driven mysteries, ventures into Michael Crichton and Blake Crouch territory with a procedural thriller with an sf edge and a ton of heart that leads to an explosive (and emotional) finale." Publishers Weekly similarly lauds Parks' "intelligent, fast-paced thriller" and concludes "Readers will fully engage with the well-drawn characters as Parks convincingly reveals the science that buttresses the suspenseful plot." Kirkus promises "Parks’ suspenseful novel will beguile, entrance, and fool the sharpest readers." Finally, the New York Journal of Books offers this thought, "Most of that stuff about quantum physics and particles is really about the emotional connections between human beings. It all leads to a finale that’s both thrilling and heartfelt, and a good reason to trust the science of Parks’ fine storytelling." I encourage you to read their entire review for a really good summary.

Death at the Château Bremont

This is the first of the "Provençal Mystery Series" by author M.L. Longworth. Any of you who watched the all-too-short TV series, "Murder in Provence"--starring Roger Allam-- will recognize the main characters, chief magistrate of Aix-en-Provence Antoine Verlaque and law professor Marine Bonnet. There are 9 books in the series and I am ready to dig into these. When documentary film director Étienne de Bremont dies after falling from a window in the attic of the family Château, the police are quick to call it an accident or perhaps even suicide. But investigating magistrate Verlaque is not so sure. Étienne was universally admired and liked and he'd grown up in the Château, often playing for hours in the attic. When it turns out that Marine had been childhood friends with the de Bremont brothers, Verlaque brings her into the investigation while, at the same time, trying in his dogged way to rekindle the romantic relationship he had previously with Bonnet. The the other brother, ne'er-do-well François, is found dead at the Château, only this time it's clearly murder. The resolution of these two deaths causes everyone to re-evaluate their beliefs about the de Bremont brothers. 

Booklist's starred review says, "This first novel in a projected series has charm, wit, and Aix-en-Provence all going for it. Longworth's voice is like a rich concoction of sparkling Dorothy Sayers and grounded Donna Leon. Its blending of aristocratic mystery and guide to Provencal wines, foods, habits, and Aix itself is delightful, and the old-fashioned plotline, with enticing clues nicely planted for the reader, returns refreshingly to the values of the genre's golden age." Library Journal concludes their review, " A beloved home turns sinister in this evocative romantic suspense debut from veteran travel and food writer Longworth. Via great sights and a strong sense of place, readers can leisurely follow Verlaque and Bonnet as they uncover a complicated backstory." Publishers Weekly was less favorable, calling this a "disappointing debut...Despite the appeal of the intelligent Marine and her refreshingly opinionated friend, Sylvie..." Nevertheless, Kirkus calls this "A promising debut for Longworth, who shows there’s more to France than Paris and more to mystery than Maigret."

The First Lie Wins

This is the debut adult novel from YA author Ashley Elston. "Evie Porter is a sweet, southern girl from a small Alabama town. At least, that's the story she tells. In reality, she's a professional con artist whose specialty is insinuating herself into people's lives, gaining their trust so she can expose their secrets" (Booklist). But her current assignment takes a few unexpected twists. First, she is falling in love with her "mark," handsome financial advisor Ryan Sumner. This leads her to try and protect him from her boss by supplying inaccurate information about Ryan's not-so-legitimate side business. And then an old friend of Ryan's shows up with his new woman friend, Lucca Marino, who is a near look-alike to Evie. Except that Lucca Marino is Evie's real name and only her boss, Mr. Smith, knows that. Then "Lucca" and Ryan's friend mysteriously die in a car crash. Evie feels like she's being set up, expecially when the police show up and take her in for questioning about the death of her mark in an earlier assignment. Now it's clear that Mr. Smith is pulling strings to make Evie jump, but to what purpose. Along with her silent tech-wizard partner Devon, Evie must figure out what is going on and try to out-maneuver Mr. Smith before she ends up in jail for murder. There are a lot of flashbacks to Evie's earlier life and her former assignments, so some may find that distracting, but they are essential to understanding Evie's character and the surprising final twists of the plot.

Booklist says of the characters and the plot, "Everyone in Elston's fast-paced adult debut has a secret, and none of the characters are trustworthy or reliable. Evie is a delightfully morally ambiguous antiheroine whose ability to think on her feet results in a relentless array of shocking twists that lead to a satisfying ending." And Publishers Weekly concludes, "Elston whips up plenty of suspense and delivers a satisfyingly serpentine finale." Similarly, Kirkus praises, "Elston’s adult debut announces itself as a savvy thriller with intrigue and momentum from the first twist of Lucca’s arrival right up until the final showdowns. Evie is a smart and engaging protagonist, and her time on the run is anything but predictable."

Holmes, Marple, and Poe

This engaging read by James Patterson and Brian Sitts clearly draws some of the characters' idiosyncrasies from their namesakes. Brandon Holmes has a bit of a drug problem, Margaret Marple is British, and Auguste Poe has a haunted relationship with women and alcohol. Still the characters are distinct and fully developed in their own right and will be remembered as such. There are multiple mysteries here to be solved, some of them inter-related and some just puzzlingly unnecessary.  I tend to agree with Booklist's complaint that the book's "... biggest problem is the mysteries: there are too many of them. The investigators are juggling a bunch of cases, from a missing person to stolen art to a cold-case murder. The result? It's difficult for them and, unfortunately, the reader to focus on any individual case."

Three PI's renovate a warehouse in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn and with the help of "friends in high and low places" (Publishers Weekly), quickly solve the case of a missing high-profile attorney. This garners a lot of press and a certain amount of enmity among the police who have failed where "Holmes, Marple & Poe. Private Investigations" so quickly succeeded. Only one detective, Helene Grey, seems to appreciate their innovative and unorthodox methods of crime solving, and she becomes both an ally and a political target. 

Publishers Weekly calls this a "breezy thriller" with "short chapters and brisk prose [that] make for diverting-enough entertainment. This satisfies." I listened to the audio version and enjoyed 

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club

A cozy historical novel set in the seaside town of Hazelbourne, England during the summer immediately after WWI. Throughout the war years, Constance Haverhill was seen as competent enough to keep the large estate of her dead mother's friends running in good order. And Poppy Wirrall, daughter of a retired actress, along with the other women who drove the ambulances on the battlefields and carried messages on their motorcycles are all finding themselves shoved to the back of the line. Now the government is creating new laws to prohibit the hiring of women instead of men for any job openings. But these smart, resourceful women are not so easily reduced to the limited traditionally gender-appropriate roles. Poppy has responded by starting her own business with like-minded women motorcycle drivers to provide private transportation to Hazelbourne's women in snazzily decorated sidecars. Constance is about to be turned out on her ear after years of serving the family who are upper class and expect her to go to a respectable placement as a governess--a fate worse than death in Constance's eyes. She has achieved her certificate in bookkeeping through a correspondence course and wants to find a more challenging job. There is a slow-burning affection growing between Poppy's returned fighter pilot brother Harris, who lost a leg in the war, and Constance that is complicated by class expectations. The nation and the world are in transition and this is an inspiring story of women who want to grab the brass ring and be a part of that change.

Publishers Weekly comments that "Simonson ...delivers a thoughtful and witty tale of British men and women adjusting to a new normal after WWI....While Constance's bumpy romantic adventures with Harris form the spine of the book, Simonson neatly interweaves multiple plotlines involving the chauvinistic and condescending local gentry, the travails of a German waiter scorned because of his nationality, and the bad behavior of visiting Americans. Readers are in for a treat."

Booklist offers this encouragement: "Simonson...brilliantly captures the pains of a generation of young people at a crossroads in an England ravaged by war and a flu epidemic, especially of the women who kept the home front going only to be tossed aside when the men came home. Constance is a quietly lovable heroine, a woman who longs for independence but is stifled by society's expectations. The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club is, by turns, heartwarming and heartbreaking, and readers will be entranced."

Another happy ending book I read and enjoyed was Simonson's Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.

Hum

 Helen Phillips "is the author of six books, including the novel The Need , a National Book Award nominee and a New York Times Notable Book. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award. Her collection Some Possible Solutions received the John Gardner Fiction Book Award. Her novel The Beautiful Bureaucrat was a finalist for the New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. A professor at Brooklyn College, she lives in Brooklyn with artist/cartoonist Adam Douglas Thompson and their children" (book jacket). This is her most recent speculative fiction novel. Although this book has received numerous laudatory reviews, I didn't much care for it... maybe because I never had kids. I found the children's behavior obnoxious on many occasions and their mother's mostly passive acceptance of same distressing as well. In other words, I didn't like any of the human characters and couldn't identify with much of the stress in the storyline. Which isn't to say that the story lacks relevance. As the New York Times notes in their review, "Along the way, the story raises many unsettling questions. What is the right role for A.I. in our lives? In a world of so much artifice, what counts as authentic experience? How do we usher our children into a future that we find frightening to imagine?"They provide this opener of the general plotline: "In Helen Phillips’s near-future novel, “Hum,” a family’s dream vacation away from technology devolves into a misadventure with major consequences." The review goes on to provide a much more detailed explanation of the settings, actions, and characters' interactions--with other members of the family as well as with one significant "Hum." They conclude by praising the author, "This sleek ride of a novel further cements Phillips’s position as one of our most profound writers of speculative fiction."

The Los Angeles Times gushes, "“Phillips has given us a lot to chew on, but there is also something comforting embedded in this cautionary tale: an homage to our adaptability, our capacity to love and our willingness, however reluctantly, to embrace the new … Here she urges us not to surrender our power to choose and to resist, but to be thoughtful warriors, deciding for ourselves how we will dwell on our imperiled planet.” 

Here is Kirkus' review and summary: "What happens when the forests are gone, surveillance cameras are ubiquitous, and AI-programmed robots do the work? Set in a future altered by climate change and technology that may feel uncomfortably close at hand, Phillips’ new novel again shows her talent for finding warmth, humanity, and connection within an all-too-conceivable dystopian landscape. The action begins with May Webb, an unemployed mother of two elementary school students, undergoing a procedure designed to alter her features just enough to confound facial-recognition software. (The procedure is performed, as are many tasks in the world of the novel, by a robot with a soothing demeanor called a hum.) For surrendering her face to this experiment, May—whose AI-communication job has recently rendered itself obsolete and whose husband, Jem, has been laboring to keep the family financially afloat working gig-app-facilitated odd jobs—is paid the equivalent of 10 months of her previous salary. She immediately splurges on a three-night stay for the family in the idyllic Botanical Gardens, an accessible-only-to-the-rich paradise of greenery, frolicking animals, and fresh air walled off to shut out the city’s grit, graffiti, litter, and soot. But the family’s perfect vacation takes an unfortunate turn when the children wander off and get lost, setting in motion a string of events that endangers the family’s power to stay together. Writing with precision, insight, sensitivity, and compassion, Phillips renders the way love and family bonds—between partners, parents and children, and siblings—can act as a balm and an anchor amid the buffeting winds of a fast-changing, out-of-control world. A perceptive page-turner with a generous perspective on motherhood, identity, and the pitfalls of 'progress.'”

The Best Lies

This is the 2nd book I have read by David Ellis and it is equally as twisty as the previous book, Look Closer, which won an Edgar Award. I'll start with the cast of characters: Leo Balanoff is a criminal defense lawyer who has crossed the lines more than once in his efforts to see real justice done. When his DNA and fingerprints show up at the murder scene of a notorious and sadistic human trafficker, it looks like he's finally crossed one line too many; Andi Piotrowski, Leo's ex, who is working in the security department of a high tech drug company; Trace, former alcoholic and Leo's brother who is now living and working in Mexico; Chris, an FBI agent struggling to get back in the game by taking down the kingpin of the trafficking syndicate after being sidelined for 2 years while getting treatment for cancer; and finally is Mary, Chris' sister and a detective with the local police department who is anxious to arrest Leo for the murder. Leo maintains his innocence in the murder but has a lifetime of secrets that he is hiding--and he is not the only one living a lie.

Publishers Weekly was less than complimentary in their review of the book, saying the "storytelling gets too tangled, and his characters are too implausible, for this to cohere."

The Change

Kirsten Miller is the author of a popular feminist YA series with Kiki Strike as the protagonist. This is her first book written for adults and, in fact, the three protagonists are all women of a certain age. Here is the summary and effusive review from Publishers Weekly:

"Miller... triumphs with her adult debut about three women who discover supernatural abilities during menopause, which they use to avenge murdered teenage girls in the New York beach town of Mattuck. Just as retired nurse Nessa James becomes fast friends with gym owner Jo Levison, Nessa realizes she can see ghosts again. When she was a child, her grandmother told her she had a gift, and that she'd be called upon later in life to use it, along with other similarly gifted women. Nessa intuitively seeks out unapologetic Harriett Osborne, a former ad executive who was pushed out of her career and now cultivates toxic plants like wolfsbane. Along with Jo, who can summon her fury and channel it into fiery strength, the trio attempt to bring peace to three ghosts Nessa encounters on the beach near Culling Pointe, where the billionaires live. After a client at Jo's gym starts leaving clues about one of the ghosts, the trio is let down by police detectives who make their own motives clear... Miller's book is that rare treat: a suspenseful story with great pacing, memorable characters, and an engaging voice. Fantastic in every way, this fierce anthem against misogyny is a smash."

Kirkus' version offers a slightly different perspective. "Menopause brings more gains than losses for three women in this entertaining thriller. When menopause arrives ... they don’t bother with estrogen therapy or worry about chin hairs. They develop superpowers. Harriett Osborne kicks her high-powered advertising career and her dweeby husband to the curb and lets her gift for botany flourish, growing plants for pleasure and for poison (and to really annoy the head of her homeowners association). Jo Levison is first alarmed by the rage that literally sets fire flowing from her hands—hot flashes with a vengeance—but she learns to channel it and starts a successful fitness and self-defense business. Nessa James’ emerging gift is a somber one that’s been handed down by the women in her family: The dead speak to her, but only the dead who need help...The response from local police is barely apathetic; the cops seem to be protecting someone, or all the someones who live behind gates at the high-priced end of the island. That just makes the trio push harder to find out what’s going on. What they uncover echoes the Jeffrey Epstein case and too many other cases of powerful men exploiting women and getting away with it—or maybe not. The novel takes on serious issues but doesn’t take itself too seriously; there’s plenty of mordant humor, a suspenseful plot, and mostly brisk pacing. Crime fiction, superpower fantasy, and sharp satire about sexism and ageism mesh for a satisfying read."

Booklist raves, “The Change is wry and clever, serious and exacting, and masterfully suspenseful in its conveyance of a deeply profound and feminist message.” The Guardian (U.K) seems to agree. “With a propulsive plot and characters that roar off the page, this is a novel that’s unafraid to take on societal misogyny while being satirical and even funny at the same time.”

If you enjoy this book, you might also consider When Women Were Dragons, Killers of a Certain Age, and/or The Bandit Queens.

The Bandit Queens

I highly recommend this debut novel by Parini Shroff, a practicing attorney in the Bay Area. She takes on some serious themes--caste, spousal abuse, gender discrimination--with what some reviewers have called "laugh-out-loud humor;" whereas, I would say with absurd or dark humor. Set in a poor (east) Indian village, Geeta has become a pariah ever since her abusive husband, Ramesh, disappeared 5 years before. Everyone believes she did away with him to become a "self-made widow." She turns her reputation to advantage as it keeps away unwanted advances from men and she has now joined a small group of women with a microloan to run their own businesses. But even the group members believe she is a successful murderer and so Farah comes to her asking for assistance in killing her abusive husband. That request is followed by a similar one from Priety--all of which pushes Geeta in scary directions. She takes inspiration from the legendary Phoolan Devi, known as the Bandit Queen, who took revenge on those who had degraded and hurt her. She makes an unlikely friend, the widowed village supplier of illegal liquor, Karem, but then costs him his biggest customer, a gangster in a neighboring town. Then, low and behold, her "dead" husband, now blind, reappears in town and wants to reunite with her. At occasional risk of life and limb, she solves her loan group's problems, sends her husband packing, and begins her re-integration into the village life.

Publishers Weekly concludes their review: "Shroff deals sharply with misogyny and abuse, describing the misery inflicted as well as its consequences in unflinching detail, and is equally unsparing in her depictions of mean-girl culture in the village. Readers are in for a razor-stuffed treat." Library Journal asserts that "This is a deeply human book, with women surviving and overcoming in their culture while still remaining a part of it." Kirkus opens their review with "Bonds of sisterhood are forged through murders." And, though not uniformly laudatory, goes on to say, "Still, if you can lean into the melodramatic slapstick nature of it all—villainous characters who pause midvillainy to explain that their nicknames are works in progress; characters who pause mid–hostage situation to wish each other a Happy New Year—the novel will reward you with occasional witty one-liners, tender moments of deep female friendship, and salient truths: 'Because we’re middle-aged housewives. Who’s more invisible than us? We can get away with murder. Literally.'” Readers will appreciate—if not quite be riveted by—this tale of the strength of women in impossible situations."

In a lengthy review, The New York Times opens with “'Women were built to endure the rules men make,' Parini Shroff writes in her debut novel, The Bandit Queens, which covers a litany of grim realities in rural India: ... This might sound depressing, but Shroff manages to spin all of the above into a radically feel-good story about the murder of no-good husbands by a cast of unsinkable women."

I'm including Booklist's review in total because it captures several important points. "Shroff's debut is a darkly hilarious take on gossip, caste, truth, village life, and the patriarchy. Geeta's abusive drunk of a husband disappeared five years ago, leaving her alone and destitute in a small village in India, where rumor has it that she did him in. Her reputation as a woman who "removed her own nose ring" protects her from various unpleasant attentions, and it's not long before other women in her microloan group seek her assistance removing their nose rings. Inspired by Phoolan Devi, "the Bandit Queen," who fought for the rights of women in India, Geeta engages the help of a handsome widower (and black-market liquor purveyor) and takes on a gangster from whom she steals a dog. Geeta inadvertently manages to facilitate a couple of husband disposals before her own spouse reappears, hoping to reconcile with her. As one of her beneficiaries tries to blackmail her and her long-estranged, childhood best friend becomes a source of support, Geeta endeavors to take her life back. A perfect match for fans of Oyinkan Braithwaite's My Sister, the Serial Killer (2018) and clever, subversive storytelling."

NPR's interview with author Parini Shroff is here.

Noir USA: Best of the Akashic Noir Series

Akashic is a publisher, whereas I sought out this collection of short stories because I mistakenly thought that "Akashic" was a particular type of noir, sort of like "Scandi noir" or "southern noir." "The Akashic noir series was launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Since then, there have been 60 original anthologies, all centered on a specific city, region, or neighborhood in the U.S. and abroad. The 37 stories in this collection represent the best of the U.S.-based anthologies (Booklist)." The editor of this collection is "Johnny Temple... the publisher and editor-in-chief of Akashic Books, an award-winning Brooklyn-based independent company dedicated to publishing urban literary fiction and political nonfiction. He won the 2013 Ellery Queen Award, the American Association of Publishers' 2005 Miriam Bass Award for Creativity in Independent Publishing; and the 2010 Jay and Dean Kogan Award for Excellence in Noir Literature (from the book jacket)." "

Library Journal calls this anthology "A must read for mystery fans, not just devotees of Akashic's "Noir" series, this anthology serves as both an introduction for newcomers and a greatest-hits package for regular readers of the series. Broken into six parts, ...the volume contains the best short mystery fiction has to offer...The best of these stories are tightly written character studies with an amazing sense of place, be it San Diego or Pittsburgh, while also concisely examining larger issues such as domestic violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, or gentrification. There isn't a weak story in the collection...Strongly recommended for readers who enjoy mysteries published by Hard Case Crime, as well as for fans of police procedurals. Not recommended for readers who are 100 percent committed to cozies ...but other mystery fans who give it a chance will find much to enjoy."

Publishers Weekly also offered a strong recommendation: "This compendium showcases 37 exceptional stories from 32 separate volumes, in six thematic categories: 'True Grit,' 'American Values,' 'Road Rage,' 'Homeland Security,' 'Under the Influence,' and 'Street Justice'"... concluding "Readers will be hard put to find a better collection of short stories in any genre." 

I found myself not in a place to read all 37 well-written but, indeed, dark stories so I picked out those to read whose authors were familiar to me. "the list of contributors includes virtually anyone who's made the best-seller list with a work of crime fiction in the last decade. Among them are Lee Child, George Pelecanos, Michael Connelly, Don Winslow, Dennis Lehane, and T. Jefferson Parker (Booklist)." Also Joyce Carol Oates, Jonathan Safran Foer, S. J. Rozan, William Kent Krueger, Laura Lippman and Lawrence Block.

 

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

Olga Tokarczuk, whose name was totally unfamiliar to me, has garnered some of the highest literary awards, including a Nobel Prize for literature and the Man Booker International Prize. I would recommend listening to the book or perhaps listening while following along in the text, as the Polish names stumped me in my efforts to imagine how they were pronounced. Her works have been translated into over 40 languages.

This summary is taken from the book jacket since I can't imagine doing any better. "In a remote Polish village, Janina devotes the dark winter days to studying astrology, translating the poetry of William Blake, and taking care of the summer homes of wealthy Warsaw residents. Her reputation as a crank and a recluse is amplified by her not-so-secret preference for the company of animals over humans. Then a neighbor, [nicknamed by Janina as] Big Foot, turns up dead. Soon other bodies are discovered, in increasingly strange circumstances. As suspicions mount, Janina inserts herself into the investigation, certain that she knows whodunit. If only anyone would pay her mind . . .A deeply satisfying thriller cum fairy tale, Drive Your Plow over the Bones of the Dead is a provocative exploration of the murky borderland between sanity and madness, justice and tradition, autonomy and fate. Whom do we deem sane? it asks. Who is worthy of a voice?"

Publishers Weekly was effusive in their praise, concluding their review by saying "Tokarczuk's novel succeeds as both a suspenseful murder mystery and a powerful and profound meditation on human existence and how a life fits into the world around it. Novels this thrilling don't come along very often."

Similarly, Booklist lauds the work. Protagonist Janina ( a name she hates) "mounts her own inquiries [but]As the seasons change, Janina finds herself summarily dismissed by authorities and locals alike, all the while maintaining her beliefs that the perpetrators may not be human at all as the action surges toward a gripping conclusion. Mythical and distinctive, Tokarczuk's translated novel erupts off the page, artfully telling a linear tale while also weaving in the metaphysical, multilayered nuances of Janina's life."

I offer these reviews first because I wasn't particularly taken by the book. I could certainly sympathize with some of Janina's views, and probably nobody died who didn't deserve it, but I didn't really like any of the characters nor was I particularly interested in who was doing the killing.  I was somewhat inclined to believe Janina's theories about the killer(s) because nobody else was a plausible suspect, but the ending did surprise me.  

How to Age Disgracefully

This entertaining read from Clare Pooley is centered at a community center that serves the elderly, pregnant women, a daycare center and a veterans group. This is Pooley's 3rd novel after her best selling The Authenticity Project and Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting. "After hiding in her apartment for 15 years, Daphne starts to feel like she doesn’t want to be invisible anymore. On her 70th birthday, she decides that she’ll find a way to step outside for longer than it takes to buy groceries a couple of times a week. It’s time to make friends and, perhaps, find a partner" (Kirkus).She gets dragged into a Senior Citizens Club, which she promptly takes over. During one meeting, part of the ceiling collapses and the town council threatens to shut the place down and sell it, since they "can't afford" to repair it. This will leave several people who Daphne has become attached to in real financial straits and curtail their life choices. Publishers Weekly praises "Pooley's clever and delightfully farcical scenes [that] are laugh-out-loud funny, often thanks to the frank Daphne." 

Booklist offers these enticing comments:  Pooley creates "an unlikely cohort--failed actor/recovering kleptomaniac Art; Ruby, who stealthily knits Banksy-style art installations; Anna, a former long-haul trucker who now rocks a motorized mobility scooter; and Ziggy, a teenage father with a daughter at the daycare, whose mad tech skills endear him to the otherwise prickly Daphne. Throw in a madcap bus ride, a mangy dog, and an audition for a reality TV show, and the result is a lovably quirky, reassuringly wise, and memorably inspiring romp that shatters ageist stereotypes. For fans of Fredrik Backman and Rachel Joyce... Readers seek out best-selling and wily comedic novelist Pooley for just the sort of cheeky break from stress they crave." Kirkus closes their review by asserting that "Fans of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series will enjoy this delightful romp that on its surface is about senior citizens—whom everyone tends to discount—and others coming together to save the local community center but really is about so much more: aging, love, crime, friendship, making mistakes and living through them, and life’s complicated emotions and choices. A frothy, fun, and well-paced cozy mystery—in which no murders take place."

 

Home Improvement: Undead Edition. All-New Tales of Haunted Home Repair and Surreal Estates

The subtitle suggests this is not a DIY handbook; rather it is a collection of short stories, collected from notable mystery, horror and fantasy writers, and edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P Kelner. This was an enjoyable, diversionary read. I don't usually pick up collections of short stories, so, to remedy that, I started with a collection in a favorite genre. There are some notable authors here whose books I have read: Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, S.J. Rozan as well as many with whom I was not familiar. The plot lines vary widely from accidentally opening a portal to the world of the dead during a home renovation to a really bossy house that makes people do things they don't want to. For a brief description of each entry, go to Kathy Davie's review in StoryGraph.

Cahokia Jazz

I was totally unfamiliar with author Francis Spufford, but I liked this book--if not particularly the ending--I will seek out his other alternate history novel, Golden Hill. Cahokia is the name given to the area along the Mississippi River across from present day St. Louis. Over 80 mounds still remain and further excavations suggested the centralized trading center near the confluence of the Mississippi, Missori and Illinois rivers extended much further out the the main population center. Cahokia was the name of the nearest indigenous tribe when the area was "discovered" by French explorers, in the 17th C, but there is evidence of settlement going back to 600 BCE. The height of the culture was around 1200. "Today, the Cahokia Mounds are considered to be the largest and most complex archaeological site north of the great pre-Columbian cities in Mexico"; it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Spufford's approach is to imagine a history in which native Americans were not all decimated by disease and warfare but, in part, thrived and were strong enough to negotiate a semi-independant status as a city-state within the United States. The city is still a major transit point to the west with trains going to each coast and heavy industrialization with all it's accompanying ills. This is set in the 1920's and the jazz age flourishes here as well with speakeasies, bootleg liquor and rampant corruption. Still the original inhabitants are the governing body and maintain many of their own beliefs, rituals and monuments--most of which have been integrated into a quasi-Catholic religious structure. As in the actual Cahokia, the residents are multi-cultural--primarily American Indian, Black and White--living more or less peacefully although living a largely segregated existence in different parts of the city. Characteristically, if there is money and power to be had, the Whites are scheming to take control and drive out the natives. 

This is the background when Cahokia detective Joe Barrow, a large man of indiscriminate Native origins, and his partner, Phineas Drummond, a seriously bent white cop who served in the Great War with Joe, are called to the scene of a murder atop the Land Trust building downtown. The victim, who turns out to have been a clerk working in the building, is eviscerated in a ritual way that suggests some connection to old Aztec rituals.  The two detectives have very different motives for wanting to close the case. Drummond wants the case closed regardlessof whether or not the actual perpetrators are fitted up for the crime. Joe moves away from the "mentoring" of his partner and pursues the truth, fronting munitions traffickers, a powerful bootlegger, the Native power brokers and the KKK. He fears that if Native Americans are scapegoated as the killers, the Whites will use this as the rationale to overthrow the government.

The world building and the weaving of actual history into the story line are first rate. The setting and feel of the era are richly evoked. And the characters are believably developed with the most significant evolution being for Joe Barrow himself.  Kirkus further elucidates these elements: "Spufford has cleverly thought through all the Risk-board elements of this setup, from Cahokia’s industries, to the intersection of Native folkways and Catholicism, to the city’s various ethnic enclaves... But at heart the novel is a straightforward, smart noir, with Joe torn among his police duties, his sideline as a talented piano player at a local club, an erratic white detective partner, a budding romance, and his own grim upbringing in an orphanage. ... but Joe is an original invention, steeped in complex history—a “Mississippian fusion” of European, American, and Native ideas—and torn over what do for himself, his city, and his culture. A richly entertaining take on the crime story, and a country that might’ve been. 

Reviews have been glowing with Library Journal concluding that "Spufford has written an astounding homage to noir mysteries. A poignant drama-filled novel that his fans and readers of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian will thoroughly enjoy." Publishers Weekly concurs, saying "This richly imagined and densely plotted story refreshes the crime genre and acts as a fun house mirror reflection of contemporary attitudes toward race—all set to a thumping jazz age soundtrack." And Booklist praises, "Spufford... riffs on familiar hard-boiled types (the corrupt cop, the femme fatale) and keeps the plot brisk and violent. But the tune Spufford plays is nothing less than history of an alternative North America, and with his exuberant world building he invites us to consider the notes not played. ...The outcome, suggests Spufford, might be a society just as diverse and dissonant as our own."

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

This light novel from Jesse Q. Sutanto carries a number of important ideas. Raised in southeast Asia, Jesse got her creative writing degree from Oxford (yes, the one in England) and so has the bona fides to bring these cultures together in her books. You'll notice that even the characters in the book come from different cultures with unique foods and customs, but all seem to share the fear of and respect for the formidable "aunties" whether or not they are actually related. 

Here is a plot summary from the publisher, which is pretty accurate. " Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady-ah, lady of a certain age-who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco's Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her college-aged son is up to. Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing--a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn't know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of . . . swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer. What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?"--"

Library Journal praises, " Sutanto excels at creating lovably flawed characters, the mystery has plenty of twists to keep readers guessing, and Vera's case notes at the end of some chapters add humor to the deductive process.... A mystery with warmth, humor, and many descriptions of delicious teas and foods." Publishers Weekly calls it a "stellar mystery" and concludes their review by saying, "The engrossing plot, which is full of laugh out loud humor and heartfelt moments, builds to a satisfying conclusion that will leave readers eager for more Vera. Sutanto has outdone herself with this cozy with substance." Booklist opens their review with this assertion, "Death shouldn't be funny or sweet or heartwarming, except maybe in a new cozy series starring Vera Wong, the widowed owner of San Francisco Chinatown's rather decrepit Vera Wang's World-Famous Teahouse." They go on to add some details of the plot: "when she discovers a corpse on the floor. The police arrive, refuse her amazing tea, barely investigate, and leave. Vera knows she's looking at foul play, no matter what the authorities insist. Of course, she'll solve the case by gathering (and feeding) the most likely suspects--an alleged reporter, a supposed podcaster, the dead man's wife, and his twin brother. Vera's next deadly installment hasn't yet been officially announced, but the success of Sutanto's best-selling Aunties series certainly points to more tales of murder."

It took me a while to warm up to Vera, but I stuck with it because my friend Anne Z. had given me the book. I am glad I did as it is both a good mystery and a warm-hearted story of unexpected friendships.

 

The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon

The Emerald Mile is a boat, a 17-foot wooden dory to be precise. You have to row it with big oars. This particular boat lived more than one life, dying in a rapids of the Colorado River, retrieved from the town dump, and rebuilt with some modifications by Kenton Grua. Two times, Grua set the speed record for going down the Grand Canyon with this boat. Although author Kevin Fedarko calls this the story of the fast ride through the canyon, it is so much more. It is about everything related to the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon: it's first discovery by Spanish explorers in the 16th C, Powell's initial traverse of the canyon, the remarkable span of history revealed in the canyon's geology, the river's tumultuous behavior that spurred engineers for the Bureau of Reclamation to try to control it with massive dams, the people who fought to save its wild nature, and the elegant wooden dories brought to the canyon by Martin Litton that all the boatmen (and women) admire. You will learn about the ground breaking engineering that went into building both the Hoover and especially the Glen Canyon Dam, and you will also learn--along with the Bureau of Reclamation--that even these enormous structures could not fully control the wild Colorado. You'll meet some of the people who loved the canyon and river so much that they made it their life's work. As Publishers Weekly  succinctly points out, "Grua's wild ride on the Colorado, how it mirrored his mercurial personality, is just one part of Fedarko's story; however, the river, which runs through seven states, and the canyon, rich in both geological and political history, prove to be the real protagonists." This is the very best kind of non-fiction, incredibly well-researched as well as accessibly and beautifully written; many reviewers spoke of the poetic descriptions. I loved this book and often had a hard time putting it down. Whether or not you're an aficionado of rivers and boats, you'll find this book fascinating. Kirkus reviews says it best, "An epic-sized true-life adventure tale that appeals to both the heart and the head."

Text is followed by an interview with the author, pages of photographs, a lengthy Acknowledgement, detailed notes and sources, a bibliography, and finally, an index.  The quotes that precede each chapter are absolutely spot on, from Shakespeare to Wallace Stegner to Edward Abbey.

An interview on NPR with author Fedarko is here.

Someone to Watch Over Me

Ace Atkins was chosen by the Robert B. Parker estate a decade ago to continue Parker's "Spenser" series; this is the latest of the "Robert B. Parker's Spenser" novels by Atkins. For the most part, I would say he maintains the characters, action, settings and dialog. I did, however, in this book run across a piece of dialog that was from characters in another series (Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch) that was just jarring when uttered by Spenser.  Dialog has always been so key to the charm of the Spenser series and defines both individual characters and relationships between them. 

Here is the plot summary from the Robert B. Parker website. "Ten years ago, Spenser helped a teenage girl named Mattie Sullivan find her mother's killer and take down an infamous Southie crime boss. Now Mattie—a college student with a side job working for the tough but tender private eye—dreams of being an investigator herself. Her first big case involves a fifteen-year-old girl assaulted by a much older man at one of Boston's most prestigious private clubs. The girl, Chloe Turner, only wants the safe return of her laptop and backpack. But like her mentor and boss, Mattie has a knack for asking the right questions of the wrong people.

Soon Spenser and Mattie find ties between the exploitation of dozens of other girls from working class families to an eccentric billionaire and his sadistic henchwoman with a mansion on Commonwealth Avenue. The mystery man's wealth, power and connections extend well beyond Massachusetts - maybe even beyond the United States. Spenser and trusted ally Hawk must again watch out for Mattie as she unravels a massive sex-trafficking ring that will take them from Boston to Boca Raton to the Bahamas, crossing paths with local toughs, a highly-trained security company, and an old enemy of Spenser's—the Gray Man—for a final epic showdown."

Publishers Weekly offers a less than laudatory review, calling this book a "tepid...contribution" to the Spenser series. However, Library Journal asserts that "Parker keeps kicking in Atkins's capable hands." I did enjoy meeting new character Mattie and she may develop into an interesting character on her own. The person who recruits the teenagers for the wealthy billionaire is indeed formidable. The billionaire is obviously a stand-in for Jeffrey Epstein.

All Shot Up

 Chester Himes is one of the less famous but well-regarded authors of hard-boiled detective fiction. He is best known for his "Harlem Detective" series that features two Black detectives, Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones. They write their own rules, but always with the good of the Harlem community at heart. 

This essay by S. A. Cosby in the New York Times, celebrates what Himes' writing meant to so many readers. Publisher Penguin Random House offers this introduction to Himes' career and work. "Chester (Bomar) Himes began his writing career while serving in the Ohio State Penitentiary for armed robbery from 1929 – 1936. His account of the horrific 1930 Penitentiary fire that killed over three hundred men appeared in Esquire in 1932 and from this Himes was able to get other work published. From his first novel, If He Hollers Let Him Go (1945), Himes dealt with the social and psychological repercussions of being black in a white-dominated society. Beginning in 1953, Himes moved to Europe, where he lived as an expatriate in France and Spain. There, he met and was strongly influenced by Richard Wright. It was in France that he began his best-known series of crime novels—including Cotton Comes to Harlem (1965) and Run Man Run (1966)—featuring two Harlem policemen Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson. As with Himes’s earlier work, the series is characterized by violence and grisly, sardonic humor." 

They also provide a brief plot summary for this book, the 5th installment in the Harlem Detectives series. "... Coffin Ed Johnson and Gravedigger Jones investigate a series of seemingly unrelated, brutal crimes. A gold Cadillac, about as large as an ocean liner, rocks a woman to the pavement in the cold streets of Harlem. Three goons in cop uniforms heist a small fortune and leave an important politician dead. All told eight bodies stack up over the long, bloody weekend, but they won’t spoil in this weather. And Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson have to follow the trail of brutal violence, perversion, and cold murder—and avoid getting caught in the fray."

The Sparrow and the Peacock

This book won an Edgar for "Best First Novel by an American Author" and was on the best book of the year lists for NPR and The New Yorker. Author "I.S. Berry spent six years as an operations officer for the CIA, serving in wartime Baghdad and elsewhere. She has lived and worked throughout Europe and the Middle East, including two years in Bahrain during the Arab Spring" (author's website). 

Here is the laudatory review from Publishers Weekly with a brief plot summary. "Berry's stint as a CIA officer lends a palpable veracity to this outstanding debut thriller. In 2012, 52-year-old CIA veteran Shane Collins is assigned to Bahrain's capital city of Manama during the Arab Spring uprisings there. His career is circling the drain, but his young station chief, Whitney Mitchell, is a star on the rise. In order to collect information that proves Iran is fueling the local revolution, Collins has riskily embedded a local agent in a volatile rebel group. Then Collins attends a gala where he's struck by a massive mosaic and again by the beautiful artist who created it, Almaisa. Shane begins a lengthy pursuit of Almaisa, and before long, he's juggling new love, a budding conscience about his work, and bloody complications with his revolutionary informant. The plot's many twists will captivate readers, and Berry's gorgeous prose is its own reward, with echoes of Le Carré and Graham Greene..."

I wasn't engrossed in the book, not the plot, not the characters. But the author certainly captures the setting well and offers insights into procedural espionage tactics to a greater degree than in most spy novels.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries

This book by Heather Fawcett is not really an encyclopedia, although protagonist Emily Wilde, who has a PhD in Dryadology, is struggling to finish the one she is writing. This is a debut novel for adults by Fawcett who has previously written fantasies for children and young adults. This is the first in what is now a series of three "Emily Wilde" books.

Booklist opens their review: "Dr. Emily Wilde is a scholar visiting the remote Scandinavian nation of Ljosland to study the Hidden Ones, a species of faerie. She is joined by her faithful dog, Shadow, but otherwise is on her own to focus on her work until her Oxford [sic; it's actually Cambridge] colleague, the affable and too-handsome Dr. Wendell Bambleby, shows up..." and they conclude with this praise, "Told entirely through entries in Emily's research journal, Fawcett's first novel for adults is propelled by the voice of curmudgeonly Emily, whose hard outer shell slowly melts in the face of friendship. The full cast of characters, well-developed faerie lore, and pervasive sense of cold add depth to the delightful proceedings, which include scholarship, yes, but also danger and a hint of romance. Emily is an Amelia Peabody in snowshoes, and readers will be utterly charmed."

Publishers Weekly is somewhat less enthusiastic in their review: "In Fawcett's slow-moving but atmospheric debut adult fantasy... a socially awkward Cambridge professor heads to the frost-coated fictional country of Ljosland in an alternate 1909 where tangling with faeries is commonplace. The tale is presented as the journal of dryadologist Emily Wilde as she documents her research for the eponymous encyclopedia. These journal entries work well at giving readers a window into the voice and personality of an extremely introverted and detached heroine, but they don't make the aloof, academic Emily any easier to root for." But they still conclude, "In Fawcett's slow-moving but atmospheric debut adult fantasy (after YA Even the Darkest Stars), a socially awkward Cambridge professor heads to the frost-coated fictional country of Ljosland in an alternate 1909 where tangling with faeries is commonplace. The tale is presented as the journal of dryadologist Emily Wilde as she documents her research for the eponymous encyclopedia. These journal entries work well at giving readers a window into the voice and personality of an extremely introverted and detached heroine, but they don't make the aloof, academic Emily any easier to root for."

Similarly, Kirkus' review is more measured but finishes by saying, "A somewhat uneven novel that will nevertheless charm readers of cozy fantasies." The Guardian was positive: "A thoroughly charming academic fairytale, complete with footnotes and a low-key grumpy romance. "

 The New York Times praises the book: "Fawcett’s characters are delightful: Emily is meticulous, ornery and as oblivious to human mores as she is conversant in fairy ones, while Bambleby’s almost preternatural charm endears him to everyone. But there’s real loss and deep feeling in what could have been, in a different project, entirely about their push-and-pull dynamic. Fawcett’s sketches of academia and scholarship are sharply observed, and her depiction of fairies and their ways is often harrowing. The journal structure cultivates a careful rhythm alternating habit and surprise, and it all comes together in a delicious and satisfying whole."

I come down on the "charming" side and thought the characters and setting were well developed.

The Murder of Mr. Ma

This is the debut novel for John Shen Yen Nee, but co-author S. J. Rozan has numerous titles to her credit.  The two protagonists of this tale were actual people...who lived 1200 years apart. Judge Dee is based on Di Re Jie (630-700 CE), who was made into the protagonist of a mystery series (Judge Dee) by author Robert van Gulik in the 1940's and 1950's. Apparently, there is also a "Detective Dee" film series. Lao She was the pen name of Shu Qing Chun, an intellectual who navigated the Boxer Rebellion and died during the Cultural Revolution. In 1924, Lao She wrote Mr. Ma and Son, a father-son duo who, while living in London, confronted the duality of a British fascination with cultural artifacts and fear of a "yellow peril." Interesting pairing. What is even more interesting to me is that, although John came up with the idea and general plot line for the book, S.J. Rozan did all the research and writing. Living Kung Fu master teachers.choreographed the fight scenes in this book. 

Publishers Weekly says of the book, "a bewitching series kickoff that cleverly riffs on the Holmes/Watson dynamic" and concludes their brief plot summary with this recommendation: "The intricate plot, which is bolstered by vivid period detail and playfully riffs on real-life figures in Chinese history (including Lao), is enhanced by healthy doses of humor and well-orchestrated action. Readers will be clamoring for a sequel."

Here is Library Journal's review: Rozan and Nee "create a distinct sense of time and place in this brisk adventure. Lao She teaches Chinese at a London university in 1924 and leads a peaceful life--until Bertrand Russell sends for him. Lao anticipates a quiet discussion about China. Instead, he's sent to jail to impersonate Judge Dee Ren Jie, who was accidentally swept up when police arrested a group of Chinese agitators. After the pair stir up trouble and cause a riot, Dee involves Lao in his plans to solve a murder. Dee served in the Chinese Labour Corps in France in the Great War. One of his former compatriots, a merchant, has been murdered. Then two more Chinese men are killed, all with a butterfly sword. Along with Lao, Dee enlists a shopkeeper, a British thief, and a group of urchins in his investigation. Lao narrates their adventures as Dee impersonates a street legend, "Springheel Jack, the Terror of London," swinging from lampposts and launching himself across rooftops in search of a killer. VERDICT Fans of the Sherlock Holmes canon will appreciate this fast-paced, exciting novel."

Watch the official book launch and meet the authors, the Kung Fu master and see a "lion dance." There is an interview with both authors from the LA Public library

Harbor Lights

I have read at least half a dozen of James Lee Burke's books, most recently Every Cloak Rolled in Blood. As in that novel, many of the stories collected here deal with the evil and cruel nature of some humans, the supernatural, and unexpected protagonists. I think the review from Booklist sums up the contradictions. "There are so many joys in this new short-story collection from the author of the Dave Robicheaux mysteries...Though the plots diverge, they all share a darkness, a sadness, a feeling of desperation, and, also, a quiet belief in the power of everyday heroes. These stories... are as richly detailed and beautifully rendered as Burke's novels... this collection is a real treat for fans of the author." Publishers Weekly asserts that "Burke, best-known for his Edgar-winning Dave Robicheaux mystery series, proves his versatility as a storyteller in this textured collection...These impressive stories establish that Burke doesn't need a whodunit plot to catch a reader's attention." Kirkus concurs, saying "Eight stories...continue the author's career-long project of expanding the mystery genre to include bigger crimes like slavery and deeper mysteries like the nature of evil."

In summary, Library Journal offers, "Award-winning mystery writer Burke's (Dave Robicheaux series) eight-piece story collection shines, from the atmosphere found while cherry picking in a northwestern Montana orchard to the smell of summer watermelons in the South. Beneath all the vivid scenery of pewter skies and heavy rainstorms, the tales are full of depictions of the great evil and adult cruelty at work in the world, blending ancestry and history with more recent days. In the title story, set in New Iberia, LA, in 1942, a young son on a business trip with his father witnesses the impact of his father's affair. "The Wild Side of Life" explores the "blood for blood" culture at a Southern prison farm. "Strange Cargo" describes how true Southerners, whether soldiers, professors, or sheriffs, still do business, good or bad, by a handshake. These stories, while filled with dark themes, are bright with descriptive natural features, spanning from before the Civil War to more modern times, offering a look into the battlefield history of the South and how it remains alive. VERDICT For Burke's many fans and those who enjoy Southern tales."