State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy

When reading a cozy mystery series there is suspension of disbelief and then there is "so far fetched I am having trouble with my disbelief turning into laughable disdain." What can I say; I applaud Hyzy for her attempt at a novel fun locale for her series. I think writing a series about the White House chef is creative. She admits in her acknowledgements that she can't have all the details concerning the White House kitchen completely accurate because of privacy and security. That actually wasn't what bothered me overmuch.

The plot of State of the Onion revolves around Olivia Paras, the assistant chef in the White House who gets involved in a security breech involving the president. With an inability to keep out of harms way, Ollie ends up the target of an assassin's wrath because she is the one person who has seen him and can identify him. As a chef, the book of course revolves around cooking and the kitchen. There are recipes in the back. So far, typical cozy.

My frustration came from the subplot which involved two warring Middle Eastern nations who come to the United States for a joint meeting. Hyzy could not logically put Palestine and Israel into the book so instead she created two made-up nations with "very different backgrounds." That destroyed it. By definition she had to write in generalizations. Her perceptions of Middle Easterners were stereotyped and one-dimensional.

Furthermore, I found the "rah rah the President is perfect we're so patriotic it makes everyone gag" to be over the top. Obviously someone who works in the White House has a healthy respect for our government and the office of the President. But to suggest that we are the only great nation who has all the answers is overstated.

Now, other people I know liked this book a lot more than I did. I'm a harsh critic when it comes to accuracy and realism. If you want a light fun story, Hyzy's not bad. I did get invested in the climax and discovery of the bad guy. It was also the right book to have when I needed something light, fluffy, and not too deep.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo is an international phenomenon. I have to believe everyone in the literate world has heard about this book in the past six months. My mom has read the series, my husband has read the series, friends have read the series. I finally decided I would bite the bullet and read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Too many recommendations tend to leave me cold; I find overwhelming praise often means I am disappointed in a book so I started reading with considerable trepidation.

Happily I can report I liked The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as much as alluded to by other readers. Larsson writes a compelling book. His characters are not archetypes and yet he describes them well enough to make them believable. All things considered, Larsson does not lack for descriptive detail. Reading the second book in the series I find that he overwhelms with detail, but more on that later.

For anyone left who has neither heard of the book nor seen the movie, the plot revolves around a 30-year old mystery surrounding a teenage girl who disappeared from an island without a trace. Mikael Blomkvist, a veteran journalist suffering from professional problems, is brought in to reanalyze the facts and try one last time to discover what happened. Eventually he needs a researcher to help with his search and brings in Lisbeth Salander, the infamous girl with the tattoo. Lisbeth’s back story ultimately becomes the plot of the Larsson trilogy. In this book Blomkvit and Salander solve the immediate mystery. But Larsson sets up the conundrum for the next two books.

So many people have commented on this story that I don’t feel it necessary to once again rehash the merits of Larsson’s story or writing ability. Let me just reiterate a thought I had when I read Camera: the Swedes are a DARK people. The literature that I have read involves sex and brutality in concrete, detailed terms. I have no idea if this is a fair assessment of the population or merely the books which have been translated to English as having a cross-cultural interest. But either way, it is not a book to be read by the faint of heart. Sexual deviance is an assumed narrative in Larsson’s storylines.

As I write, I am halfway through The Girl who Played with Fire. So far, I like the first book better. But I’ve been told I have to finish all three before I can make any conclusive statements.

Murder in Miniature by Margaret Grace

Murder in Miniature is a true cozy mystery. Nothing violent happens on screen - it is like reading a classic play. The only people who die, die offstage. The characters hear about what happened to them but never actually see any gore. Even the main character is never put in real danger - no gun toting or kidnapping. It is very sanitized.

After finishing The Shipping News which is not plot-driven I needed a story with a bit more to lead me through it. Margaret Grace succeeded on that front. The plot revolves around a temporarily kidnapped friend, a murdered drifter, and a found sapphire. The main character is an aging widow and her ten-year old granddaughter. The theme is building dollhouses. The characters are always on the looking for ways to incorporate found objects into their dollhouses. The sapphire is found inside a craft tote bag of dollhouse making materials.

This would be a perfect book for your great aunt who doesn't like things that are too messy. Or for your 11 year old niece who wants to read more grown-up books but doesn't need all the gore or sex so many books can have. It is innocent - while still a murder mystery.

Great literature? No. A good summer diversion? Yep.

The Sultan's Seal by Jenny White

Wow!! This is one of the most amazing first in a series novels I've read in a long time. The information and accuracy is incredible. Unlike certain unnamed academic authors, White does not fall into the trap of telling information she knows just to prove how smart and knowledgeable she is. Every gleam of detail is necessary to forward her story. Just wow! I'm in love.

Author Jenny White is a professor of Anthropology and has written academically about the Ottoman Empire. Her knowledge of Turkey, the complicated workings of the political system, the debates surrounding nationality and identity, the innerworkings of power in the harem, and the political maneuvering of the European nations all combine to make this a historically accurate but also well-developed murder mystery.

The main character Kamil Pasha is a Turkish magistrate who trained at Cambridge. As such he straddles his familiar Turkish world and the modernizing British scientific method world. He wants to see his country survive and flourish but he does not ascribe to some of the "traditional" organization of Turkey.

The plot revolves around the discovery of a young British woman who is found drowned. She is wearing a locket that ties her to the sultan's palace. Kamil Pasha works with the daughter of the British ambassador to attempt to discover the identity of the woman and learn how and why she was killed. The story is twisted and interwoven. It is not straight-forward and at the end the resolution is not a neatly tied-up package. White leaves a lot of questions to be answered, which I think is more honest than many mystery novels.

After reading the book I found myself thinking about a criminal investigation in such a society. When men have no access to most women how are they expected to investigate the death of a woman? He had to have the assistance of someone who could breech the inner circle.

One review I read suggested the British character was too flippant and well, dumb. I didn't see that. I thought that White painted a stereotypical character for the time. She used Sybil as a representative Brit who wanted to understand Turkish society but could not divorce herself from her Britishness.

There are two very nitpicky things I disliked about the book:

The chapters with Kamil Pasha were in present tense. Personally I prefer reading books written in past tense. But I understand her literary choice as it separated those chapters from the ones written from another character's perspective that were often about past events.

I would have liked one more chapter to wrap up the story. I felt that she ended a touch too quickly. There is the obvious motivation of having the reader pick up book #2. Yet, I still wanted a little resolution. What happened when the sun rose?

All in all, a big thumbs up. If you like historical mysteries and have any interest in the Middle East - an amazing read!

If you liked The Sultan's Seal, try these books:

• The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
• The Aimee Leduc mysteries by Cara Black
• The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye (not a mystery but a classic British imperial novel)

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Snore!

Harry Potter proved that young adults could read books of longer than 200 pages. It created a new world for young adult literature that is longer and more detailed. Inkheart emerged onto the scene playing heavily on the appeal of J. K. Rowling. And in my opinion, fell flat on its face. What a boring book. Cornelia Funke accomplished in 520 pages what she could have accomplished in 250. Rarely would I suggest an abridged version of a book, however in this case the only way I would give the Inkheart series to a child was if it were heavily shortened and tightened. This book will not encourage most readers and is not a good choice if trying to instill a love of reading in a youngster.

I feel guilty being that negative. I SO wanted to like this series. And I have specifically held off watching the movie until I had read the book. But in this instance I think cutting out all the extraneous unnecessary description to create a tight screenplay will improve the work.

Part of my hope for the series was that it revolves around a father and daughter who love books. They love to read. They are wholeheartedly invested in the world of stories and literature and losing oneself in a new world. How can all of that be bad?

When it goes nowhere.

The plot spins in endless circles with very little forward motion until I finally put Inkheart down and begged my husband to tell me what happened.

I am curious about one thing: Is this my failing as an American reader who has fallen into the trap of expecting action in every chapter? I hadn't initially realized that Inkheart is a German novel (although it helps to know that in the beginning. Otherwise the lack of setting up a locale is slightly disconcerting). I haven't read much German literature and would like to know if this is stereotypical. Do German novels focus on heavy description and move forward at a slower pace than an "average" American book? If anyone has any insight, please share.

* * * * *

If you would like more books like Inkheart try:

• Maybe overly obvious, but I can't not include Harry Potter
• Because Funke references it in Inkheart The Princess Bride
• Anything by Garth Nix (he can be dark but Inkheart has dark tones too)

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan

I have mentioned before the I adore young adult fantasy. There is nothing more enjoyable than picking up a well-written, well-plotted fantasy that is fun and light without excessive violence, death, or sex. The Lightning Thief fulfills this exact category. It is engaging, a light read, and teaches something as well.

I would guess that Riordan had an idea for a book and discovered the mass appeal of the Harry Potter series. He took his idea and ran with it recognizing that a market existed. Trying to not sound like Harry Potter, there are moments when he set himself up as too obviously different. Instead of fleeing his family during the school year, Percy Jackson flees during the summer. Instead of no parents and evil extended family, Percy has the perfect sweet mother. Those moments don't take away from the book, but they did catch my attention.

Percy Jackson has ADHD and dyslexia - appropriate quirks for today's middle school reader. I like that Riordan describes those characteristics as signs of half-blood relationships to the Greek Gods. It's novel and a fun take on an old issue. Oh yeah, and if you haven't read the book - the main premise is that Percy Jackson is half Greek God.

Which brings up the main plot of the book. Riordan introduces his readers to a whole slew of classic Greek mythology: Zeus, Hera, Apollo, Aphrodite, Medusa. Although these are less relevant in today's world, I think its noble to introduce this world to kids. Knowing who Hermes is makes the FTD symbol at florist shops suddenly make sense. Riordan takes the classic tales and adapts them to the modern world. It's fun.

As far as appropriateness of this series for the kids themselves? My son's only six and he's too twitchy to listen to a story this long yet. But, I think it is a great series for boys - a group who has been ignored as readers until recently. I've been told that the further in the series the more death and destruction that occurs so parents may want to pre-read depending on their child's interests.

For me, I'm anxiously awaiting for the rest of the series to show up in my kids Scholastic flyers.

The War Against Miss Winter by Kathryn Miller Haines

Mysteries have so many sub-genres that it is impossible to classify many of the books. I enjoy historical mysteries but with reservations - I generally don't read stories that happened more than two hundred years ago - a personal preference. If there is a time period I lean towards it is the 1920-1940s. I love World War books. And Haines story is a quintessential World War II Americana story. I have also found that I really enjoy reading the first mystery in an ongoing series. I am intrigued to see how an author crafts the world for a repeat character who will be solving crimes again and again.

I met Haines at a book signing when The War Against Miss Winter first appeared and I chose not to buy the book. I don't remember my logic at the time. Most likely it had more to do with more growing stack of 20 plus books that I had already bought than any particular disinterest in her book. Anyway, my mom bought the book instead, read it, and passed it on to me. And I'm glad she did.

Haines, an actor, sets up the story of a down and out actor who works for a private eye in World War II New York. Familiar with the genre of the era, Haines uses a lot of slang. It gives the story authenticity and a film noir feel. However, there are points when I feel like Haines overdoes the jargon. There are times when it is fine to say "walking" rather than repeat "legging" for the tenth time. Haines has also done her homework. She depicts the life of civilians during the War well quoting propaganda posters frequently to demonstrate the emotion being supplied to the Americans by the government. The world of chorus girl, hopeful actresses gives the story another level of intrigue. Haines uses famous plays for the title of each chapter and quotes Shakespeare from time to time adding to the character's believability but also giving credence to Haines' background.

The crux of the story revolves around a missing play and a dead playwright. If you read carefully Haines lays out exactly what the solution to the mystery is - although the whodunit is less straight forward. But she crafts the plot well enough that it is not overly obvious rendering the book unpalatable.

I have the second installment of the Rosie Winter saga waiting for me on my bookcase. I will happily dive into it one of these days. The gumshoe, "long-legged dame" feel is a light sub-genre that I don't read frequently and probably would not pick up first. But I enjoy the time period and the main character enough to absorb the style for what it is.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

It feels like everyone I know has been watching and commenting on HBOs Tru Blood. I am curious but rather than jump into the show I decided to go straight to the source and read the first Sookie Stackhouse novel by Charlaine Harris that created the show. The book had a huge waiting list at the library and I finally picked it up this week after three months waiting for it.

And can I just say:

How can anyone who has read Twilight honestly think that that book is remotely novel, unique, or otherwise inspired?

Okay so vampires are done, overdone, and redone lately. But the story in Dead Until Dark has so many similarities to Twilight that it is unbelievable!

A couple of examples:

• Vampires "glow" but more so to the main character
• Vampires can do "glamors" to calm people down and make them less tense
• Vampires overall are scary and kinda evil, except our vampire. He's strong and sexy, and REMARKABLY protective
• One of the main characters can read minds - of everyone except the other main character
• The main character has a friend who shockingly is a shapeshifter and must turn into a dog during the full moon

Does no one else see this? Stephanie Meyer started Twilight in 2003. Dead Until Dark first appeared in 2001.

I will say, I think Charlaine Harris' book is a MUCH better story than Twilight. For one, Harris is a much better writer. Second, it is funny and off-color and doesn't take itself very seriously. Third, it sets up a world that is apparently just made for television. There is also some interesting vampire sex - somewhere between Anne Rice and Stephanie Meyer.

If you are standing at the bookstore staring at the overwhelming number of vampire books on the shelves today, pick one of the better books. Pick up Charlaine Harris. Put down Twilight and back away. I imagine I will read more of this series. It's light and fluffy, really quick to read, but amusing. One of these days I may even watch Tru Blood

Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs

I have read and enjoyed all of Laura Childs Tea Shop mystery books and her entire Scrapbooking Mystery series. Both are light, fun, enjoyable cozy mysteries.

(Ya know, every once in a while I have to stop and wonder that the books I describe as light and fun and enjoyable revolve around murder and violence.... But if you read cozies you know what I mean. Someone is dead, but there's not a lot of incest, or abuse, or difficult medical decisions involving the death of a family member. They're all about 'innocent' murders :-) Okay, ignore that aside. I just felt that it needed to stated.)

Anyway, my mom sent me the newest book in Childs' most recent series: the Cackleberry Club mysteries. Eggs in Purgatory is an interesting twist on the recent phenomenon of themed murder mystery series. Many books revolve around a central focus - knitting, cooking, dog shoes, bear collecting... you get the idea. The Cackleberry Club seems to combine a half a dozen different themes into one coherent story. The three main characters - middle-aged tough but lovable women - run a restaurant/bookstore/yarn shop. The restaurant serves tea and scones along with down home eggs and grits. They purchase locally produced products from the neighboring farm community. They have book and knitting groups and are planning a cake decorating contest.

Confused? Overwhelmed? Yeah, that's kind of how I felt. The jumbling together of every contemporary popular theme seemed a bit forced to me.

Nonetheless, I liked the characters. They were a bit grittier than the typical Miss Marple style sleuth. They had real problems and didn't hesitate to wield frying pans at ex-husbands and swear at obnoxious customers.

Oh wait. The point of the book is to solve a mystery in the middle of all of this cooking and book sorting. Yes, there's a mystery. Personally when the murderer stepped forward my first response was "who's that?" I appreciate leading the reader on different plausible paths to divert from the real killer but I was so completely diverted that the actual murderer hadn't made enough an impression on me to even be remembered.

All in all, diverting. But not one of Childs' best books.

The Mournful Teddy (A Bear Collector's Mystery) by John J. Lamb

A cozy mystery about teddy bears? Really? People will write about anything. And more importantly, people will BUY anything!

I fully admit, this was my first thought when I picked up the new Bear Collector's Mystery series. I had seen Lamb at a book signing two years ago but hadn't gotten his book at the time. It looked cute - come on, it's about teddy bear collecting. What other word would you use to describe the series?

Instead, my mom bought it later and sent me the first three books in the series. The one thing that had made me curious when I first saw him was the mere presences of a male author. Cozy mysteries are notoriously written by women, the sleuths are women, and the majority of the characters are often women (think Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote. It is the epitome of cozies if you've never read one).

To my great and pleasant surprise, this book is really quite good. It is 100% cozy - no gruesome death scenes, no gory details, cute theme. But, Lamb's background created a more detailed story. The main character, like the author, is an ex-cop who has full knowledge of police procedure and insight into the criminal mind. Lamb has managed to combine a police procedural which gives technical credence to his book with the fluffiness (pun intended) of a good cozy mystery. Plus, Lamb has a witty sense of humor that is slightly off-color. He isn't afraid to be a guy, which is a nice twist in a genre that often describes men as either bohunks to be drooled over or clueless, tasteless duds to be divorced.

In addition, Lamb and his wife are teddy bear collectors. So, on top of the accuracy of the criminal side of the novel, Lamb does include all of the necessary fact building about a particular niche/hobby that has become de rigeur in the cozy mystery world. Rather than wrinkling my nose at the other two Lamb books on my shelf, I will happily pick them up to read in the next couple of months.

The Rowan by Anne McCaffrey

I rarely reread a book. There is just too much literature out there to read once that I can't waste time on any book twice. But, I broke my own rule to reread the first in Anne McCaffrey's Rowan series. A group of friends were reading it for a book group, I wanted to participate, and I didn't remember the details well enough without actually going through the whole book again. (Why I didn't remember the details is because a) it was almost eight years ago and b) it was during my first year of grad school and everything I did that year leaked out of my brains a long time ago - especially if it did not relate to school).

That having been said, I liked this book better the first time. Not that I have changed that much but my reasons for reading were different. The first time I read it as a complete escape from reality. I needed something different and removed from real life. In that vein, I really enjoyed the world and the story that Anne McCaffrey put forward. The Rowan takes place in a futuristic galaxy in which a percentage of humans have telekinetic power, ESP, and empathy. Those with Talents work to transport goods and services between planets.

This time I was reading the book with a goal in mind - to discuss it with other readers, not all of whom are science fiction fans. In that venue, I like the book less. It is still good escapist literature. But, it does not stand up as a stand alone book very well. Without all the other books in the series The Rowan seems poorly developed. The world is engaging but the characters need greater depth. And the ending is hurried and not as well developed as I would have liked.

For semi-science fiction fans, McCaffrey is best known for her Dragonridgers of Pern series. Like that series, these books are great for younger readers - post-young adult but too young for certain adult themes. This series does speak to a slightly older audience as the role of parenting is a key issue. I would give it to an avid junior high aged reader in a heartbeat.

An enjoyable second read. But not thrilling enough to make me pull out the rest of the series right now.

Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner

Books in translation. These books are a quandary for me because I am never sure what to say about the writing. Do I review the book as though it is in its original form? Or does the translator play a role in the description of the book? Americans praise Victor Hugo for his writing style, but is it really Hugo they are praising or random translator #32 whose version of Les Miserables everyone is reading this year?

This question is cogent when discussing Murder on the Eiffel Tower because I had trouble with the flow of the book. I found myself stopping and starting and couldn't get into a good reading groove. I have no idea if the problem is the translation, the attempt to turn French prose into English, or the difference in French and English writing styles at the base. Whatever the answer, my first observation about Izner's book was that it didn't read smoothly. It was jarring in its speech.

My second quandary about Izner's book is about the historical content. As a French historian I understood the plot of the novel. I would guess that the average Frenchman reading would also understand the book. But I don't know that the average American has enough background in late-nineteenth century French history to grasp the nuances of the story. I'm not trying to suggest Americans are dumb, but if you handed an Italian a book about Abraham Lincoln would you automatically assume he would know about the log cabin, the Gettysburg Address, and Ford's Theater?

Izner(which by the way is a pen name for sisters Liliane Korb and Laurence Lefèvre) solves that conundrum by including a short description of the 1889 Expo at the end of the book to explain the setting. But I think that would need to be read first. And it still doesn't explain the Boulanger Affair which is thrown around like a current day conversation about Britney Spears. And a handful of the names are play on words in French but just names in English.

The story takes place in and around the World's Fair for which the Eiffel Tower was constructed. Much of the action takes place amid the action at the Expo. Individuals have died from what people believe to be bee stings. Victor Legris, a bookseller, becomes involved due to friends' connections to the death. His frenetic searching describes much of the story.

As a fan of French history and mysteries in general, I will undoubtedly keep reading Izner. I have the next book on my bookshelf already. But, I don't know that this book would have wide appeal. Francophiles, yes. General mystery lovers, not necessarily.

Corpse Pose by Diana Killian

I will read almost anything. I like a good light mystery to read when sitting at gymnastics with the boys. It's a great way to pass the time and be entertained. I generally am not that conscious of writing style. But occasionally I pick up a book for which the writing style is so incongruent and bad that it is hard not to notice. Corpse Pose falls into that category. The writing is SO bad I am amazed that anyone actually published the book. The best way to describe this book is to let it speak for itself. The following quote is a description of the small town that the main character A.J. is entering after she discovers that her beloved aunt has been murdered:

...On the outskirts of the town was a small cemetery known as the Hessian Graveyard, although it wasn't old enough to inter any fallen Hessians. It was one of those fascinating places with ornate headstones and morbid statuary of weeping cherubs and little children petting small animals. Gus Eriksson, Aunt Di's naturalist photographer lover, was buried there somewhere beneath the blanket of red and yellow autumn leaves. And now perhaps Aunt Di herself would rest there. Had Aunt Di left any final instructions about her funeral arrangements? A. J. had no idea.

Really? All in one paragraph? And what's with the Hessians? That has less than nothing to do with the plot. This is the only mention of the graveyard so why the inclusion of the statuary - descriptive though it may be?

Any my favorite description in a cozy mystery/chick lit/bad romance kind of way:

"Ma'am." His breath smoked in the chill air. He touched the brim of his hat. "You've had some trouble?"
His eyes were green - startlingly green - in his tanned face. He was handsome in a rugged Marlboro Man kind of way. Handsome in a way A. J. didn't like. She didn't like big, buff, overpoweringly masculine men. She liked clever, sophistocated, sensitive men. Or course, she preferred clever, sophisticated, sensitive heterosexual men, but apparently one couldn't have everything.

Your brain spinning in circles yet? Don't get me wrong, I would love to have someone publish my bad cozy mystery. And I guarantee the writing is not significantly better; Hemmingway I'm not. But I am starting to feel like if you include "tips" and "recipes" at the end of your book it is an automatic entre to publishing. Yes, that's right, the last few pages include information about how to perform the Corpse Pose in yoga and a recipe for basic stir fry.

Oh, the plot of the book? Not horrible really. Not any worse than most light cozy mysteries written these days. But someone needed to edit more carefully and not just assume the book would sell because it is about yoga - oh wait, technically it is "A Mantra for Murder Mystery" - a popular topic currently.

Don't waste your time. Maybe Diana Killian's future books will be stunning award winners. But before that can happen someone needs to enroll her in a writing class with a very strict professor who doesn't allow cheesy overdone descriptions.

Publish and Perish by Sally S. Wright

I am always on the lookout for a good mystery. And there is nothing better than a good academic mystery to whet my whistle. So, I was thrilled to find Sally Wright's new academic mystery series. I picked up the first book in the series Publish and Perish and just finished it.

It was good. It was different. I enjoyed it. But, I'm not going to jump right out tomorrow and buy the rest of the series. So what is stopping this series from being amazing? Mostly, the style of writing. It just doesn't flow. The characters are quintessential academics and talk with a lot of long wordy phrases that just don't roll off the tongue. There is something to be said for accuracy and it would have been more disturbing if the 40-somethings had thrown around "dude." But nonetheless, I found it took me a fair amount of time to get into the groove with this book. And more than that, I did not have much sympathy for any of the characters. They are not loveable, they are not empathetic, they are, honestly, kind of boring. (I'd hate to think all academics are like that; I know a fair number with spunk.)

Plus, the author sets up the plot as though the murderer is obvious. It was too obvious, but for quite a while I wondered why I was reading because she had already determined who the killer was. Okay, so I was wrong, but there was not a lot to keep me going, to keep me suspecting that maybe I was wrong. And as soon as I realized it wasn't the obvious killer than the second in line was pretty equally obvious. The desire to solve the mystery along with the sleuth was missing in this book.

All in all, I did like the main character, Ben Reese. As a World War II veteran with an interesting past, he has merit as a long term sleuth. I think Wright could go a long way into delving into Reese's background and his future. I might pick up more of the series purely based on the main character. But, as I said before, I'm not running out tomorrow. Maybe when my bookcase gets significantly emptier than it is now.

O'Artful Death by Sarah Stewart Taylor

Sarah Stewart Taylor's first novel O'Artful Death was a real treat. I enjoyed it tremendously and found it both novel and a worthwhile mystery to untangle.

I met Taylor at a Mystery Book Signing a year and a half ago and have been patiently waiting to read the first two books in her series. She was extremely nice, very approachable, and did not fit the stereotypical mold of a cozy mystery author. She was the kind of author I could somehow imagine emailing and getting a thoughtful response from her. Her personality as much as the subject matter attracted me to her books.

Taylor's main character, Sweeney St. George is an art historian who studies funerary art. Yep, gravestones. This first story has her uncovering the history of a pre-Raphelite tomb located at an artist's colony in Vermont. In good mystery style, the mystery surrounding the early death becomes tied in to a contemporary murder. Sweeney contacts the descendant of the woman who died to ask about the tomb. Within 24 hours the descendant is killed. The game is afoot.

I enjoyed the story that Taylor told outside of the mystery. She had obviously done extensive research into both art and American artist's colonies of the nineteenth century. A world I know absolutely nothing about, I find myself curious to learn a bit more after reading O'Artful Death. In addition, the convoluted story that emerges left me guessing. Taylor placed well argued red herrings. And, she had enough twists and turns that the murderer was not obvious. But, once the crimes had been revealed I could go back and pick up the clues she had placed to go "oh, I get it now." The book was nowhere near as fluffy as some of the mysteries I have read in the recent past.

My only gripe (and this is just a personal annoyance of mine) is that like many academic mysteries, academia is only interjected at the beginning to set up the main character as a researcher. Per usual, the research takes place off campus during vacation.

I will definitely read more of Taylor's work. I have Judgement of the Grave waiting for me upstairs. But, it is time to turn to slightly more literary pursuits and pick up my two book club books next.

The Salaryman's Wife by Sujata Massey

Generally when I read a book I find myself curious about the location in which the book takes places. Interestingly, after finishing Massey's first Rei Shimura novel I had the exact opposite response. I have little to no interest in visiting Japan based on Massey's description of the people and the culture. That's not entirely fair; I suppose it would be like viewing all Americans based on a book that I read about New York City. Nonetheless, Tokyo holds no appeal for me. And, Massey's description of the staid, paternalistic society did little to win me over to Japanese culture.
The story revolves around Rei Shimura a half-Japanese, half-American 20-something who lives in a small apartment in Tokyo and teaches English to Japanese businessmen. During a New Year's Eve vacation she becomes involved in a murder scandal. She finds herself intertwined with Hugh Glendinning, a Scotsman who is accused of the murder.
I read another of Massey's books - much later in the series - and liked it well enough to have gone back and gotten more in the series. But, at this point, the character is not overly likable. She is quick to be offended. She tends to be prickly to the point of offensive. And Massey creates a weird friendship triangle between three of the characters that seems awkward.
When I finished the long, vaguely convoluted plot my immediate response was, (in high academic terminology) No duh! Massey threw out innumerable red herrings but, to me, they were all quite obviously not part of the overriding plot.
Massey did win an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. She has continued to expand the series having written at least nine further books. And, despite everything negative I've said in this review, I'm currently reading the second book in the series. So, what is it that has kept me reading? I think it's Massey's incredible description of a people and a society. I might not want to visit it, but I am intrigued by it and I feel like Massey has described this world more honestly and aptly than some authors might. Plus, while I find Rei immature, I know that she matures as I read in the later book. I appreciate the fact that Massey has written a character that is not stagnant.
Convoluted review? Yeah, that's sort of how I felt about the book.

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen

I had a chance to meet Rhys Bowen at the same book signing even where I met Ellen Crosby. If you ever have a chance to go to this go - it's terribly fun. (Although make sure you have either given yourself a spending limit or you have lots of spare on your charge card. It's way too easy to spend too much money. I resisted the urge to go this year. Maybe next year...)
Anywho, Rhys Bowen was another terribly nice lady. I had read some of her Molly Murphy books which I enjoyed. They follow the story of an Irish immigrant to the United States in the early twentieth century. I picked up a copy of Her Royal Spyness, the first book in a new series, and had a nice chat with Ms Bowen. I passed the book along to my mom and just got around to reading it.
This new series is great!! I noticed in the acknowledgements that Bowen had thanked Jacqueline Winspear. I'm a big fan of Winspear's books so that put me in the right mood. Like Winspear, Bowen decided to tackle the interwar era in London (a favorite era of mine for any number of reasons). However, unlike Winspear, Bowen took a completely light-hearted attitude and wrote a fluffy but fun story.
The main character, Georgie, is 34th in line for the British crown. As a result she was trained like royalty. But, like much royalty by the twentieth century, Georgie's family has no money. She can't just *get a job* like a normal person, but she tries. Her attempts at work, her ability to poke fun at herself as royalty, and Bowen's grasp of British society and the importance of class combine to make a really enjoyable book.
The book is not deep. It's not meant to be. It is a perfect light summer read. It's not smutty or too heavy on the romance. It's just fun. (And apparently other people agree. It has gotten a decent amount of attention.) Now I'll just have to wait for the second book to come out in paperback.

The Merlot Murders: a Wine Country Mystery by Ellen Crosby

I met Ellen Crosby at a book signing event just over a year ago. I picked up her book because I lived in Virginia wine country for seven years. I bought the book because Ellen Crosby seemed like a really nice, down to earth lady. I have been saving the book for a special occasion. I don't know that this week was special, but it was a good time to read something amusing and diverting. I liked Crosby's foray into Virginia wine country and the world of mysteries.
Crosby has a light writing style that made her book a really quick read. That doesn't mean the plot was overly basic just that she was descriptive without being laborious, detailed without getting mired in text. I fell into the story and was able to read the entire book in less than forty-eight hours. It was shy of 300 pages so it wasn't a long book, but it also wasn't heavy.
I enjoyed Lucie Montgomery, Crosby's main character. She has a past that makes her an interesting character but she is not somehow disturbed and jaded by a haunting mystery. Crosby explains up front what makes her heroine unique - and she writes the difference well. It was not too heavy-handed nor was it suddenly forgotten about on page twenty.
In addition, I enjoyed Crosby's attention to detail with wine making. I always enjoy a book where I can learn a few tidbits of trivia. Having lived in Virginia I knew bits here and there about Virginia wine-making. And as a UVa alum it would be hard to not know about Thomas Jefferson's connection to the wine making industry. But, I did learn more about what makes Virginia wine unique and about the actual process of harvesting grapes and turning them into wine. I don't know that I could hold an educated conversation about the world of vintners, but I feel as thought I might know listen to such a conversation and know what was going on.
The only thing that I didn't like about The Merlot Murders was the ending. Not that I disagreed with how she solved the crime. Instead I just felt like the story ended too abruptly. She was obviously setting herself up for a sequel and the beginning of a series. Nevertheless, I still would have liked to see at least one more chapter to wrap up the story. As it stood the murder was solved, the book was over. There was absolutely no sense of closure. What about all the lingering problems that remained?
All in all, I would recommend this book to almost anyone. There was no overt sex or violence. The story was intriguing without being too edge of your seat gripping. I will definitely keep my eyes out for the two other Wine Country mysteries that Crosby has since written. And maybe I will get a chance to see her at another book signing and tell her how much I enjoyed her work.

Pride and Prescience by Carrie Bebris

Jane Austen is everywhere these days. From Bride & Prejudice to Becoming Jane from The Jane Austen Book Club (movie and book) to Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen's mystery series (Jane solves the mysteries in this series) fans of the regency-era author can get their share of Austen. Carrie Bebris is no slouch in the field either.
Bebris is a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America and has done her research. Her first novel, Pride and Prescience starts almost the moment that Pride and Prejudice ends. Jane and Eliza Bennet are marrying Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy as the book opens; Caroline Bingley is simultaneously announcing her own engagement to Frederick Parrish a wealthy American. Unlike many typical mysteries no one dies immediately. In fact, the death is only a very small moment in the overall storyline. Instead, the story is really a convincing sequel to Austen's book with the continuing adventures of Bennet and Darcy.
Bebris does a great job of keeping the characters true to the era. The costumes, the speech patterns, the social mores all blend in well with the early nineteenth century. The storyline does not delve into topics that would have been unfamiliar or uncomfortable at the time. The relationship between Lizzie, her sister, her husband, and her extended family continues logically from where Austen left off. In all, Bebris has proven her mettle as a true Austenian who knows the author, the era, and the norms.
As a diehard fan of all the Austen novels, I really enjoyed reading Bebris' first foray into the world of Jane Austen. It was like picking up a familiar book and rereading it but finding a twist in the end. However, the twist in the end might throw a few readers for a loop. This book definitely builds on the stereotypical gothic novels written in the 1800s. There is a hint of the spiritual. Not everything can be defined by science. Instead of solving the mystery using scientific method, Elizabeth Bennet solves it using her intitution and cunning. But, her intittion suggests something of the supernatural. If you don't like any hint of fantasy in your reading, this might annoy you (I know it did my mom who gave me this series). But if you're willing to spare a moment of suspension of disbelief (and really, should anyone be surprised by the foray into fantasy when discovering that the great Fantasy publishing company Tor released these books) this series is great.
I picked up Suspense and Sensibility as soon as I put down Pride and Prescience. One more quick warning. As familiar as I am with Pride and Prejudice, I have already found that I need to go back and read a synopsis of the original Jane Austen work in order to place the characters and better understand the interactions between everyone. Off to look up Sense and Sensibility.

On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle

I am in the middle of a loong book by Edward Rutherford. I love his books, but I needed a break and something lighter. So, I picked up the first book in a new mystery series, On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle. (I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that this is a pseudonym. Especially since two characters in the book also have C C names.) As is the case with so many cozy mysteries these days, this is a themed series, in this case revolving around a coffee house. It is replete with coffee knowledge - the difference between a cappuccino and an espresso, the best way to store coffee beans, and what type of beans make the best coffee. The author goes one farther using coffee descriptions for people's personalities and their looks. The book oozes coffee. If you've never drunk the stuff, you'll probably be rolling your eyes.
But, as a lover of a good coffee shop, a good mocha, and a good book, I enjoyed Coyle's story. I read this differently than many mysteries because it is on the list for my next book group meeting. I recommended it to our group, none of whom are mystery readers. It made me more conscious of the style and type of writing that these books use because it is so distinct from the more recognized "literary" works.
There is something very appealing about the light tone, the silly quips, and the lack of need to think deep thoughts while reading. I had a good idea of who the criminal was, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover I hadn't uncovered the whole truth. I feel like I did learn something - about coffee making, coffee storing, and the Village in New York.
In some ways this book is a crossover between a cozy mystery and chic lit - although I don't know that you can clearly distinguish these two genres. Like many chic lit books, On What Grounds features a "normal" female crime solver, a possible romantic interest, and satire and cynicism about life in general.
I liked the book well enough that I am already 70 pages into the second book in the series. It's fun, it's relaxing, it's a good read.