Dead in the Frame

This 5th installment in the Pentecost and Parker series by Stephen Spotswood continues to delight the reader with intricate plotting and developing characters.  Parker is just returning from a leisurely vacation with Holly in the Catskills, when she arrives home to find the police arresting Ms. Pentecost for the murder of Jessup Quincannon. Parker is largely on her own to figure out who really killed Quincannon before Ms. Pentecost is sentenced to life in prison or dies from her MS and abuse at the hands of a vengeful guard before she even gets to trial. The evidence and motive are stacked against her but Will learns early on that Pentecost has been framed and blackmailed to solve another crime in order for the accurate evidence to be revealed. The attorneys defending Ms. Pentecost want Will to drum up evidence for other possible killers to create reasonable doubt, but when the blackmailer is found dead and the evidence of Pentecost's innocence is now beyond reach, Parker knows that the only way forward is to find the real killer.

Library Journal concludes their positive review with "A solid Pentecost and Parker installment, Spotswood's newest title takes on another closed-door mystery to great effect. He balances the tension, the red herrings, and the clues well, and fans of the series will be in for a treat. Mystery readers in general would do well to place this series on their TBR lists to enjoy the twists and turns that make these titles a joy to read."  And Publishers Weekly joins with their praise, "As always, Spotswood pairs voicey narration (especially in Will’s chapters) with a briskly satisfying fair-play whodunit." Although somewhat more measured in their review, Kirkus still offers this recommendation, "A lively period frolic whose hardboiled femmes tackle a Golden Age puzzle"

The Right Sort of Man

In spite of the title, which suggests a romance novel, this is a first-class historical mystery by Allison Montclair. Set in 1946 London, this is her debut novel featuring an intrepid pair of women, Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge, and I will seek out subsequent books in the series. Booklist offers this summary review:

"First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder. Now there's an unintended slogan that seems made to order for The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, a new enterprise in the heart of London's Mayfair in the years after WWII. Proprietors: the worldly Miss Iris Sparks, Cambridge-educated, with a hush-hush background in the secret service, and the sheltered Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, at the mercy of her late husband's wealthy family. The business is off to a successful start but becomes seriously compromised when a client is murdered, and the prime suspect is the very man with whom they matched her. The police see it as an open-and-shut case, but Iris and Gwen take it upon themselves to clear his name and salvage their reputation using the combined, somewhat odd assortment of contacts, talents, and survival skills acquired on their individual life journeys. Fans of M. C. Beaton will relish the wit, and followers of Susan Elia MacNeal and Jacqueline Winspear will enjoy the depth and the period detail. Readers will want to get on the reserve list for the next Iris and Gwen adventure."

Publishers Weekly also offers this recommendation: "Set in 1946 London, Montclair’s stellar debut and series launch introduces an unlikely pair of detectives. Gwen Bainbridge, whose husband died during WWII, lives with her late husband’s parents, who managed to get legal custody of her six-year-old son, Ronnie. Gwen and Iris Sparks, a former operative for British intelligence, run the Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Their innocuous business becomes less so after client Tillie La Salle is stabbed to death shortly after her particulars were provided to Dickie Trower, a shy accountant. Dickie is charged with Tillie’s murder, his purported motive anger over the cancellation of their first date. Convinced that the wrong person is behind bars and facing intensely negative press, Gwen and Iris investigate Tillie’s death. They soon find plausible alternative motives, including fallout from the dead woman’s involvement in the black market and a former beau’s jealousy. Both leads are complex, well-developed characters, whose penchant for humorous byplay never comes at the expense of the plot, which resolves itself in a clever fair play reveal. Fans of Maisie Dobbs and Bess Crawford will be delighted."

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.

 

How to Solve Your Own Murder

I have not read anything by Kristen Perrin previously as she wrote for a middle grade audience, but I certainly enjoyed her adult debut with it's very dual plot lines. Solving a cold case disappearance may well help to solve a present day murder.

Publishers Weekly wrote a laudatory summary and review: "Perrin's twisty debut revolves around a challenge issued from the grave. In 1965, Frances Adams develops a lifelong fear of being killed after a fortune teller at an English country fair warns her that "all signs point toward your murder." Decades later, a now-wealthy Frances summons her great-niece, Annie, to discuss her will in the sleepy village of Castle Knoll, even though the 25-year-old aspiring mystery novelist has never met her eccentric aunt. Minutes after Annie arrives at the estate with Frances's lawyers, they discover her dead body slumped behind the desk in her library. Frances's will states that she expected to be murdered, and that the first person to solve the crime within a week will inherit her assets and property; if no one cracks the case, it all goes to an unpleasant real estate developer. Annie leaps into action, quickly discovering that plenty of Castle Knoll locals have long coveted her late aunt's fortune. Perrin juxtaposes timelines, detailing Frances's provincial life in the 1960s while Annie's investigation grows increasingly treacherous in the present. The pace is quick, the red herrings are plentiful, and Annie's growth from timid wannabe writer to confident sleuth is beautifully rendered. Combining elements of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, and Midsomer Murders, this is a richly entertaining whodunit from a promising new talent."

Booklist elaborates on the character development. "Two of Annie's best features are her awareness of being an amateur sleuth and acknowledging that her mystery-writing might be a flawed foundation for finding a killer, even as she proceeds with conviction. The dual time lines are equally strong in exploring nuanced characters and in building tension around secrets, some possibly worth dying for, and the complex relationships are factored into both aspects."

The Stars Turned Inside Out

This is a 2nd novel from author Nova Jacobs -- and isn't that a perfect name with the title of this book

(nova means "a star showing a sudden large increase in brightness and then slowly returning to its original state over a few months.") In this book the title--as best I can tell--refers to the experience of falling in love. The setting is the CERN laboratories and campus on the Swiss/French border, where the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) resides. One of the central characters is Eve Marsh, a postdoc there and falls in love with a new postdoc name Howard Anderby who is assigned to her "group" that is looking for new particles. Howard's claims to fame are these: he's a brilliant astrophysicist and thinker, his aunt was one of the key designers of the LHC, and he has just spent a year working in China, which is attempting to build a significantly larger LHC.When Howard is found dead from radiation poisoning inside the LHC underground tunnels, puzzles abound. The LHC was supposedly shut down at the time for maintenance. He somehow got into these secure tunnels without ever passing through one of the security checkpoints. What was he doing there in the first place--was this suicide or murder. Part of the problem lies with the underfunded security systems at CERN which only take still pictures of the LHC tunnels every 60 seconds, rather than providing contuous video coverage. So someone else could have been in the tunnels if they were very quick. 

To avoid negative publicity, the CERN director brings in private investigator and good friend from Cambridge days, Sabine Laroux. Through interviews, Sabine uncovers plenty of professional rivalries and resentments. To thicken the soup, it turns out that Howard had discovered evidence of China having access to reams of data from the LHC's "Atlas" collector, so he may have been targeted from outside the campus. Publishers Weekly calls this an "engrossing whodunit" and concludes their review by saying, "Jacobs bestows even minor characters with such convincing motives that the plot's momentum never slows, no matter how complex things get. Golden age mystery fans will love this."

Booklist offers, "Jacobs ...elevates the death-in-the-workplace trope to staggering heights in this science-based thriller that fuses physics and philosophy in mind-bending ways....As her high-minded cast of characters seeks the answers, Jacobs delves into subjects as deep as the nature of the universe and the space-time continuum and as quotidian as romantic love and professional jealousy, giving careful readers much to contemplate." In their brief review, the Wall Street Journal gushes, "Many and wondrous are the charms of this witty, suspenseful and enchanting book..." The Los Angeles Times opens their interview/ review by quipping, "Who knew particle physics could be so bewitching?"

There is a conversation with Nova Jacobs on You Tube.

 

Secrets Typed in Blood

This is the 3rd installment of the "Parker and Pentecost" series by Stephen Spotswood. Although I read this book several months ago, I apparently failed to write a blog post, so here I am trying to catch up. See my posts for the previous 2 books if you want more background on this  pair of unique women detectives (Fortune Favors the Dead and Murder Under Her Skin). 

Here's a plot summary and review from Publishers Weekly: "It's 1947 in Spotswood's strong third mystery featuring Lillian Pentecost, 'the greatest detective in New York City,' and her assistant, Willowjean 'Will' Parker (after 2021's Murder Under Her Skin), and the duo's newest client, Holly Quick, arrives with a particularly knotty problem. 'Somebody is stealing my murders,' Holly declares. A prolific writer for a pulp magazine called Strange Crimes, she's certain that someone is using the details in the stories she pens under the name Horace Bellow as the basis for three recent murders. Indeed, the descriptions of a hanging in Stuyvesant Square, a stabbing in Sunnyside, and a suspicious death at an antique shop on the Upper East Side all closely match her stories. Holly wants the detectives to investigate, but without tipping their hand to the cops, as it seems she has some secrets of her own to protect. Spotswood plays fair with readers in a complex plot offering plenty of vivid characters, clever dialogue, and plausible suspects. Pentecost and Parker are a great crime-fighting partnership..."

Kirkus had both positive and negative things to say about this installment and concluded, "Untidy but undeniably engaging." The New York Times reviewer was somewhat more effusive on the plus side: "'Secrets Typed in Blood' reads as easy as fine whiskey goes down. Even when I guessed a plot twist, surprises awaited a few pages later. Mostly I was keen to spend time in Pentecost and Parker’s company. I urge every mystery lover to get acquainted with them." Similarly, the Star Tribune praises, "Spotswood's third Pentecost and Parker adventure is a constant delight...Spotswood allows his heroines to shine...The dialogue crackles, the mysteries intrigue and there is an abundance of wit and grit. This is a rollicking ride with a class double-act.."

Murder Crossed Her Mind

This 4th installment of Stephen Spotswood's "Pentecost and Parker" series held up equally well, in my opinion, to the first 3 (Fortune Favors the Dead, Murder Under Her Skin, and Secrets Typed in Blood.) Although you can read this as a stand-alone, it's highly recommended to read then in order to have a fuller picture of the characters and their relationships. 

Willowjean "Will" Parker falls for one of the oldest scams in the book--a woman yelling for help, with a partner waiting in hiding to attack any would-be rescuer and rob them. She loses her wallet, her gun, and her pride; she'll not tell Ms. Pentecost about her stupidity. Parker is determined to find the culprits herself and exact her own revenge. But her time is also taken up with a new case brought to them by a local defense attorney, Forest Whitsun, who often defends indigent clients. In this case though, he wants them to find an old friend who has gone missing. She's an elderly woman with a photographic memory who may have made enemies through her work with a powerful legal firm, or maybe from her work helping the FBI locate Nazis who had escaped to New York City after the war. Former secretary Vera Bodine has become a recluse and a hoarder, never leaving the house according to their client, but she wasn't there when he came for his biweekly visit to check on her. Unlike their other cases that have often remained unsolved for long periods of time, if this is a kidnapping, time is of the essence. Will's wise cracking attitude and Pentecost's often silent problem solving will evoke another New York detective duo, Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. 

Booklist says "Will's first-person narrative is witty, gritty, and 'as smooth as Lauren Bacall between silk sheets.'"  and calls the book a "superb retro noir..."Although Publishers Weekly did not have a particularly favorable review, calling the book "overstuffed," they do credit the dialogue with keeping the reader engaged. Kirkus also praises the narration but finds the storylines to be unsatisfactorily resolved.

A Curious Beginning

This book by Deanna Raybourn is the first in her "Veronica Speedwell" series; she has written nine of these so far. She is also the author of the "Lady Julia Gray" series as well as some stand-alone novels, one of which is Killers of a Certain Age, which I read and really liked.  Set in 1887, we meet our protagonist, 20-something-years-old Veronica, an orphan raised by two "aunts." She is a lepidopterist and has already had several adventures in remote spots of the globe seeking rare specimens; she earns her own money by selling these on to wealthy collectors. When the last of the two aunts dies, she decides to leave the most recent small village they lived in and head for London. Her departure is interrupted by coming home to find someone has broken into the house, and who then also tries to kidnap Veronica. Saved by the arrival of another stranger in an elegant coach, Baron von Stauffenbach, Veronica accepts his offer of a ride to London--saving the train fare she reasons to herself. On the long journey, the Baron tells her that he was acquainted with her mother and that she is in grave danger. Veronica has never known who her mother was, but the Baron fears this revelation could put her in even more danger and refuses to reveal the name. He wants to take her to stay with a friend he would "trust with his life" in London. This turns out to be our other protagonist, Mr. Stoker, who is definitely not  what he first appears to be--a down-on-his-luck taxidermist living in a filthy warehouse trying to preserve an elephant shot by a wealthy patron, Lord Rosemorran.  

Kirkus continues the plot, "Before the Baron can return to tell Veronica what he knows of her mother, he's found dead, and the police like Stoker for a suspect. Stoker and Veronica partner up to find the real culprit, hurtling pell-mell into a captivatingly intricate plot, including a traveling circus, the fetid Thames, and the Tower of London, as they dodge villains with murky motives and hulking henchmen. Soon, they realize that Stauffer’s [von Stauffenbach's] death may be connected to the mystery of Veronica’s birth parents, and Stoker himself has a few secrets to discover, including what really happened on his disastrous expedition to the Amazon, which left him scarred and disgraced. As Veronica and Stoker careen through dastardly plot twists, they match wits, bantering with skill worthy of Tracey and Hepburn. A thrilling—and hilarious—beginning to a promising new series."

Library Journal also approves: "Creating strong character pairings, placing the action in ... unusual but actual historical settings, and folding it all into a clever mystery are hallmarks of this author's magical, signature style. Victoria engages in boldly inappropriate activities for women of the Victorian era but remains genuinely likable, adding a pleasant zest. Stoker's backstory allows his upbringing and past experiences to aid Victoria's investigations without becoming the primary focus. Readers will discover just enough about these two and hints of curiously reticent secondary characters to make the next in this ... series eagerly anticipated. ...For ... [those] ...who like out-of-the-ordinary historical mysteries that are completely satisfying, this new series starts off with a bang."

The Spellman Files

Lisa Lutz has written several stand-alone novels as well as six books in the "Spellman Files." She has won an Alex Award for this book (best adult novel with appeal for young adults), awarded by a division of the American Library Association, and has been nominated for an Edgar. This is the debut novel (2006) in the "Spellman Files" series; I read a review of a later installment but wanted to start at the beginning to get a flavor for the characters.  I think the author herself offers a wonderful overview:

"In THE SPELLMAN FILES you first meet Isabel Spellman, private investigator. This twenty-eight-year-old may have a checkered past littered with romantic mistakes, excessive drinking, and creative vandalism; she may be addicted to Get Smart reruns and prefer entering homes through windows rather than doors—but the upshot is she's good at her job as a licensed private investigator with her family's firm, Spellman Investigations. Invading people's privacy comes naturally to Isabel. In fact, it comes naturally to all the Spellmans. If only they could leave their work at the office. To be a Spellman is to snoop on a Spellman, tail a Spellman, dig up dirt on, blackmail, and wiretap a Spellman."

Kirkus calls this book a "spirited, funny debut from screenwriter Lutz that mixes chick-lit, mystery and a dose of TV nostalgia." The protagonist is addicted to Get Smart re-runs.They continue, "It’s all casual, swift and hip. But an underpinning of reality, the complex emotions of growing up and letting go, shows through occasionally, warming up this hilarious debut." Publishers Weekly offers, ""Cracking the case can get complicated and outrageously wacky when a family of detectives is involved, but Lutz has a blast doing it in her delicious debut...Can the family that snoops together stay together? Stay tuned as a dynamic new series unfolds."

Glory Be: A Glory Broussard Mystery

This debut novel by Danielle Arceneaux is intended to be the first in her "Glory Broussard" series. Set in contemporary Layfayette, Louisiana, Glory is not a typical detective story protagonist. Not that other detectives aren't outspoken and out for justice--just as Glory is--, or that we haven't encountered black detectives, or women sleuths, or investigators "of a certain age," but Glory is all of these. She has not had an easy life, growing up in the racially segregated South, and it has recently been made even harder because her husband left her for a younger woman. Then she learns that her closest friend from childhood, Sister Amity Gay, is dead. Glory will NOT be kept away from the crime scene and is shocked to see Amity with a rope around her neck and to hear that the police are calling it suicide and will not be pursuing further investigation. Glory knows Amity would never have killed herself and she aims to find the murderer. Glory's daughter, Delphine, a successful lawyer in New York City, has come home to help her mother sort out the divorce, and for reasons of her own that she's not sharing. She is shocked to find her mother has become a hoarder and that Glory has taken over the bookie business of her unfaithful husband.

The Washington Post offers: "Danielle Arceneaux offers a remarkable debut novel that blends a character study with a tightly woven mystery that delves into dark corners of racism and corruption." Publishers Weekly also likes this book: "Arceneaux successfully avoids a mountain of cozy clichés—no bookshops, baked goods, or love interest for Glory—and works potent critiques of Southern racism into her well-oiled plot."

The setting is richly drawn, the characters are well developed and the plot is complex and tricky enough to keep you guessing. I will watch for the future adventures of Glory Broussard.

Secret Lives

Mark de Castrique has created a wonderful protagonist in the guise of the 70+ year old owner of a boarding house for government employees on temporary assignments. As a former FBI agent, Ethel usually rents to agents from the FBI, CIA or the Secret Service who are on temporary assignment. Although she appears to be a short, frail old woman, when one of her boarders is shot in front of the house, Ethel springs into action. She photographs the crime scene, conceals evidence, and speed dials the director of the Secret Service. Her distant cousin Jesse, who is boarding while attending university, concludes there is more to cousin Ethel than he originally thought. When Jesse is attacked, Ethel is able to draw upon a widespread network of former colleagues to run her own investigation as she determines that these events are part of an inside job. I found characters engaging, especially Ethel, and this was a fun, fast-reading whodunit. 

Library Journal offers this conclusion to their review: "Add another wise, experienced senior sleuth to a group that includes Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club" series and even Miss Marple. De Castrique's ... quirky characters and offbeat twists will appeal to Osman's readers." And Kirkus praises, "A taut and crisply told thriller whose charmingly shady protagonist triumphs over a labyrinthine plot." Publishers Weekly calls this a "light and lively series launch" and goes on to say, "plucky Ethel is an elderly Nancy Drew: sure of herself and her convictions, and ready to bend a few rules to achieve her goal of seeing justice done."

The Ink Black Heart

I really did try to like this book by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling), the 6th book in her "Cormoran Strike" series. I read 300 pages (of the total 1,012) and then gave up. The plot revolves around the anonymous and often poisonous internet posts to be found in games and chat rooms. The plot is this: Two twenty-ish people, Edie Ledwell and her often stoned partner, Josh Blay, create a comic strip in which the characters are all intermittently released from their graves at Highgate Cemetary in London. The main character is the heart of an evil man, Hearty. The comic becomes so popular on YouTube that Netflix is now interested in making it into a movie. Meanwhile, persons unknown have taken the characters and setting as a jumping off point for an online game, Drek's Game. The problem is that, one of the primaries, known online as Anomie, has taken a serious dislike to Edie and constantly spreads rumors and innuendo based on too much personal information about Edie, who at one point becomes suicidal as a consequence. Robin Ellacot, Cormoran's partner in their detective business, is in the office one day when Edie comes in asking them to find out who Anomie is. Robin turns her down because the firm has too many active cases and because cyber-sleuthing is not really in their bailiwick. The ground shifts when, a few days later, Robin reads about Edie and Josh being tasered and stabbed in Highgate cemetary. Edie is dead and Josh is critically injured. Edie's agent and the producer from the would-be film ask Edie and Cormoran to find the killer.

Aside from the length of the book, which in and off itself would not deter me, I was exhausted by trying to keep track of the players in the game with names like Worm28, Hartella, Fiendy1, who are known only through their chat entries in the game. It was just too hard for me to feel any connection because I didn't know who they were, what their relationships were to one another, and the constant use of slang and acronyms. Plus, I just didn't like ANY of them very much. 

The LA Times agreed with some of my sentiments, saying "at least 500 pages longer than the story warrants. Far too many of those pages are filled with tweets; characters discussing those tweets; transcripts of website interviews; and gamer group chats complete with all the concurrent private chats they spawn...These last are presented in column form; they are challenging to read and involve a mix/match game of characters, pseudonyms and red herrings that would give Agatha Christie a heart attack." They go on to disagree with some critics: "readers, critics and scholars often try to find the nature of the artist through the art. It is not fair, however, to invent a revelation where one does not exist....the critics she roused now parse her work for transphobia....but more than anything, the book feels like an attempt to take on the digital world and all the pleasure/peril of engaging with people you do not actually know in ways that are often not at all sincere."

I am also in agreement with Kirkus' review which calls the book "an overblown whodunit" that is "long, loose, and lax." They then conclude, "Who did the dastardly deed? After a thousand pages of this, the reader is likely to no longer care." Rolling Stone and other British publications assert that the book's plot is taken from Rowling's own experience with internet bullying, although she said she wrote the book before any of that happened to her. The magazine remarks that "The book takes a clear aim at “social justice warriors” and suggests that Ledwell was a victim of a masterfully plotted, politically fueled hate campaign against her. "

Dead Dead Girls

This book by Nekesa Afia is intended to be the first of a series, "A Harlem Renaissance Mystery," featuring Louise -- AKA "Lovie -- Lloyd, a 26-year-old lesbian Black woman living in 1920's Harlem.  Louise is trying her best to escape the strictures of a too controlling home situation and her reputation as "Harlem's Hero," a title given to her when she was 16 and, not only escaped after being kidnapped, but helped free three of her fellow captive girls. She spends her days waitressing at Maggie's Cafe and her nights at the Zodiac speakeasy dancing her heart out with friend and lover, Rosa Maria Moreno. When an inebriated Louise intervenes in a racially motivated arrest by punching a white detective in the nose, she is given an ultimatum. She can either help the senior detective solve the murders of 3 young Black women or go to jail. But if you're a Black, can you ever really trust the police? If you're older like I am, you might get a bit exhausted following Lovie's high level of risky activity, but you will certainly feel that you've gotten a feel for the Harlem of the 20's. 

Publishers Weekly concludes that "Readers will root for intrepid, fiery Louise, who elevates the mystery despite a disjointed investigation and haphazard denouement. The author couples tender relationships with strong senses of era and place. Afia has made an auspicious start." Kirkus calls the setting "vibrant" and says "Louise’s fight for respect and dignity is depicted with infectious passion."

Fortune Favors the Dead

I really liked this book by Stephen Spotswood; it's a well-plotted mystery that lacks excessive violence, sex and gore and, to boot, has great female protagonists. Spottswood is an educator, journalist and playwright who is previously better known for his dramatic works and his writing about the struggles of post-Iran and post-Afghanistan veterans. Here is a summary from Publishers Weekly:

"Spotswood's stellar debut puts a modern spin on classic hard-boiled fiction with a duo of female private investigators. In 1945 Manhattan, Lillian Pentecost, "the most famous woman detective in the city and possibly the country," struggles with multiple sclerosis. Fortunately, Lillian can always rely on her sharp-witted assistant, Willowjean Parker. Lillian hired her three years earlier after Will, a runaway whose five years performing with a traveling circus gave her a unique skill set, used her knife training to save Lillian's life from a gunman. Their latest case involves a wealthy woman who was bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball in a locked room during a party. It becomes personal when Lillian realizes that an old adversary, a fake medium and spiritual adviser, is entangled in the murder. Complications arise after Will becomes romantically entangled with the victim's beautiful daughter."

Kirkus calls the work a "sprightly period debut" but is a little less laudatory in their overall review. They go on to conclude, "The most striking feature is the provocative gender-flipping of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin." I still think the book is good fun and plan to read the sequel, Murder Under Her Skin.

Beating About the Bush

I am a long-time fan of M.C. Beaton's "Hamish MacBeth" series, and I always look for these as audiobooks when we travel by car. But I have never been particularly fond of her "Agatha Raisin" series nor was I enthralled with the Acorn TV series based on these books. This is the 30th book in the series and, although I still don't like Agatha, maybe you're not supposed to, and you have to admire her for never taking guff from anyone. Besides, she lives in the Cotswolds, one of my favorite parts of the world.  Agatha's detective agency is hired by a battery manufacturing company, ostensibly to find out who started a fire in their research department. What starts out as an industrial espionage investigation quickly reveals that something very fishy is going on at the client's business. When the elderly receptionist, Mrs. Dinwiddy, dies and a pet donkey gets blamed for the death, Agatha is sure it was really murder staged to look like an accident. Teaming up with a former colleague from London who is still in the PR business, they create a campaign to save the donkey as a means to keep the case open. As Agatha's team figures out the shady backgrounds of several company employees, it's starting to look like her client is involved in the drug trade, and Agatha's curiosity could just get her killed.  

Kirkus concludes their review by saying, "As usual, Beaton conceals any number of surprises behind her trademark wry humor." And Publishers Weekly offers, "The obnoxious, rude, and outspoken Agatha may not appeal to every reader, but cozy fans with a taste for the silly and the offbeat will be gratified. This long-running series shows no sign of losing steam."

The Last Place You Look

This is the first "Roxane Weary" book from author Kristen Lepionka. Apparently there is a 4th one due out soon. I would rate the writing as competent, with good plot development and an interesting main character; although, I do get a bit tired of psychologically damaged and unreliable narrators at times. P.I. Roxane Weary has pretty much been on a non-stop bender since her detective father, Frank Weary, was killed in the line of duty. She gets a call from Danielle Stockton, whose brother Brad was convicted of murder 15 years ago and is scheduled for execution in 2 months. The victims were the parents of Brad's white high school girlfriend and they were brutally stabbed in their home. Brad's girlfriend, Sarah Cooper, disappeared without a trace. Danielle is sure she saw Sarah at a shop a few days ago and she wants Roxane to find her to learn what really happened and hopefully clear her brother. Roxane starts investigating and is immediately targeted for harassment by the local small town police force. In spite of that, she finds a body in the same woods where another stabbing victim had been recently discovered. Both were wrapped in blue tarps. But the 2nd body is not Sarah Cooper, rather a girl from the same high school who had been declared a runaway. Roxane continues to chase down leads through drug connections and old friends of Brad. At first it appears that Brad is more implicated in the murders than Roxane first believed. Then it's a friend of Brad's that seems to have a connection to all the victims. But the trail finally leads to a totally unexpected place. The last few chapters will grab you and not let go. There are several red herrings in the storyline and lots of complicated connections and mixed motives, but it all comes together in the end. 

Kirkus concludes, "Lepionka’s debut confidently portrays complex characters with multiple, sometimes contradictory, motivations and offers an unusually naturalistic perspective on sexual identity." Publishers Weekly calls this debut novel "action packed but uneven." Worth a read.

Dying in the Wool

This is the first of a cozy mystery series by Frances Brody (pseudonym for Frances McNeil), set in post WWI England, and featuring protagonist Kate Shackleton. Kate received news that her husband was missing in action and has never been able to accept that he is truly gone. Like other women widowed by the war, she keeps searching, and has informally helped several women locate missing family members. When an acquaintance of Kate's from her VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) days writes and offers to pay Kate for her skills, Kate hesitates. It's one thing to help someone find a missing lover, brother, husband as an act of kindness, but quite another to consider taking money, which would make her more of a professional. Her father is a police inspector and so Kate's inquisitiveness and persistence have been encouraged. When he finds out that Kate might take a paying job with a very short deadline, he suggests she partner up with a former policeman who was never politically savvy enough to get very far--enter Jim Sykes. Jim can go where Kate often cannot and pretend to be people who Kate could not, so they make a good pair. Kate is an independent young woman, who continues to live in the house she shared with her Army surgeon husband, Gerald Shackleton. She drives a motor car--a Jowett --and decides her new partner needs to learn to drive as well.

Kate's first professional client, Tabitha Braithwaite, wants Kate to find her father who disappeared 2 years ago, and do it before Tabitha gets married in just 5 weeks. Tabitha's mother--and pretty much everyone else--think that millionaire textile mogul Joshua Braithwaite is dead.  When he was found battered and bruised in a stream a few days before disappearing, he was charged with attempted suicide--supposedly as a result of recently losing his son at the Somme--and incarcerated in a mental hospital. He escaped from there and was never seen again. But everyone Kate questions about the disappearance is holding back important information. Nevertheless, Kate uncovers enough clues to begin suspecting that he may have run away and started a new life. The mill is still being profitably run by Braithwaite's family--his wife and daughter and a cousin. Two murders at the mill, staged to look like accidents, suggest the possibility of foul play in Braithwaite's disappearance. And Kate may be next on the list of loose threads to tie up.

If you are a fan of the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear, you will like this protagonist and this series. Kirkus says of this initial outing that it "introduces a refreshingly complex heroine and adds a fine feeling for the postwar period." Publishers Weekly is a bit more measured in their review.

The Darkness Knows

This debut novel by Cheryl Honigford received good reviews as a cozy type mystery. It's set in 1938 Chicago, a time when still too many people suffer the after effects of the Depression and everyone is worrying about events in Europe that threaten war. Protagonist Vivian Witchell was in the right place at the right time to pick up a good role in a popular detective series, "The Darkness Knows,"  that airs on radio station WCHI, where she had previously worked as secretary to the somewhat lecherous station manager, Mr. Hart. She is still in awe of her handsome co-star, Graham Yarborough, and in a battle with another woman actress who would do anything to get Viv's part in the broadcasts. When Viv stumbles over the dead body of another radio star in the staff lounge late one night, it turns her world upside down, not only because of the horrifying discovery, but also because there's a letter with the body suggesting that Viv's radio character might be the next victim. Is some crazed fan killing off the make-believe characters in WCHI's radio shows, or is one of the station's staff using this as a clever diversion? Station manager Mr. Hart is taking no chances and assigns the special consultant to "The Darkness Knows," P.I. Charlie Haverman, to keep Viv safe. It's a harder job than it sounds, for when Viv receives her own threatening letter, she determines to find out who the killer is before she becomes the next victim, and she refuses to stay safely tucked away at home. Sparks begin to fly between Viv and Charlie on several levels, predictably. We get some tantalizing glimpses of Chicago in the post-Depression years, and insights into the golden age of radio. This is the first of the "Viv and Charlie Mystery Series" and I may check out the next installment, Homicide for the Holidays.
Short reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, with a lengthier one with lots of info on plot and characters from The New York Journal of Books.

Save Me from Dangerous Men

I really liked the protagonist of this book by S.A. Lelchuk. Nikki Griffin loves books and owns a used book store in Oakland. She lets her competent manager, Jess, run it most of the time, however, because she is also passionate about saving women who are being abused by men. She doesn't just try to help the women stand up for themselves, she makes it her personal mission to teach these men what is feels like to be hurt and helpless so they won't do it again. She takes on what appears to be a regular PI job following an employee of a high tech company that makes baby monitors. The company CEO is afraid the employee is selling company secrets. Well, sort of. Nikki gets suspicious of the job when she sees her target, Karen, being followed and confronted by some threatening men. It turns out to be anything but an ordinary job when Karen is murdered right before she was going to meet Nikki and reveal all she knew about what the company is actually doing. Now it's Nikki who is in the cross-hairs. In the meantime, she has met a nice guy, Ethan, and she would really like to have a normal relationship, but an attempted mugging while they are on a date reveals Nikki's darker side and he's not sure he wants any part of her. We gradually learn about Nikki's traumatic history that drove her to become the avenger that she is. I would totally read any sequel to this debut novel. Several reviewers have likened Nikki to a cross between Jack Reacher and Lisbeth Salander. If you like and recognize those protagonists, you will certainly root for Nikki. There is a comprehensive summary of the plot in The Washington Post. Kirkus offers a positive review as does Publishers Weekly as does USA Today.

Fourth Grave Beneath my Feet

I am pretty sure I read this book some time ago, BUT my memory is so poor and apparently I did not post it on my blog, so I read it again--mainly because I was in the mood for something a bit lighter and fun. And Charley Davidson, the protagonist of this series by Darynda Jones, is forever entertaining. She names all her body parts...her brain, her heart, her boobs... and she is the Grim Reaper in her spare time.
Apparently, between the end of the last book (Third Grave Dead Ahead) and the start of this one, Charley has been captured and tortured by Reyes Farrow's step-father, Earl Walker (for the back story, see also the posts for Second Grave on the Left and First Grave on the Right). She was also arrested and put in jail because of her father, so she has quit speaking to him, moved out of her office over the tavern he runs, and isolated herself in her apartment for a couple of months, interacting only with the call center from the Home Shopping Network. Her apartment is now filled to the ceiling with boxes and she is broke. Time for an intervention from trusty friend Cookie, her psychotherapist sister Gemma, and her Uncle Bob (an Albuquerque PD detective).
When she eventually ventures out of the apartment, she is accosted by a woman who says she is being stalked and is in fear for her life. Skip to the next paragraph if you don't want part of the plot spoiled. Harper is actually already dead but does not know it and Charley doesn't have the heart to tell her, but rather agrees to take on the case and find out who the stalked/ potential killer is.

Meanwhile, Reyes is out of jail and apparently fighting demons that are stalking Charley, whose terrible post-traumatic fears provide a scent they can track. They seek to use her as a portal for evil beings to enter heaven. The relationship between Reyes and Charley is heating up; the question is, is he trying to protect her or kidnap her. As if that isn't enough, Charley is presented with two other cases that are currently stumping the Albuquerque PD, a series of bank robberies by the "Gentlemen Bandits" and several building fires, which to date have harmed no one. She is just sure there is something familiar about the robbers even though they are wearing masks. Charley is helped along by the usual suspects from the world beyond--a protective rottweiler named Artemis; her own PI and Reyes finder, former gang-banger Angel; and Rocket, the boy who knows the names of everyone who has died and maybe those of some who haven't yet. On to Fifth Grave Past the Light!