A Scandal in Battersea / Mercedes Lackey

2.25 stars out of 5

Christmas is a very special time of year. It is special for Psychic Nan Killian and Medium Sarah Lyon-White and their ward Suki, who are determined to celebrate it properly. It is special for their friends, Doctor John Watson, and his wife Mary, both Elemental Masters, who have found great delight in the season seeing it through young Suki’s eyes.

It is also special to others...for very different reasons.

For Christmas Eve is also hallowed to dark forces, powers older than mankind, powers that come awake on this, the Longest Night. Powers best left alone. Powers that could shake the foundations of London and beyond.

It begins slowly. Women disappearing in the dark of night, women only missed by those of their own kind. The whispers only begin when they start to reappear—because when they do, they are no longer sane. And when Nan and Sarah and the Watsons are called on to examine these victims, they discover that it was no ordinary horror of the streets that drove them mad.

But then, the shadows reach for other victims—girls of good, even exalted families, who vanish from concerts, lectures, and evening balls. And it will take the combined forces of Magic, Psychic Powers, and the worlds greatest detective to stop the darkness before it can conquer all. 


***2019 The Summer of Sherlock*** 

Well, I called A Study in Sable a weird tribute to Sherlock Holmes. This book is even weirder. Not only does it continue to represent John & Mary Watson as magical practitioners, it joins them, Nan & Sarah, and Sherlock Holmes himself to battle eldritch horrors out of H.P. Lovecraft! 

The mash-up doesn’t work for me, but it may work for folks who are more into Lovecraft than Mr. Holmes. Both books, to my way of thinking, are far outside of the detective’s wheelhouse and his presence really isn’t appropriate.

The evil magician who starts the whole situation going isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer and the tentacle monster has pretty banal requests of him. Said evil magician is so pitiful at covering his tracks that it’s amazing that he wasn’t apprehended almost immediately!

If you are a dyed-in-the-wool Mercedes Lackey fan, you will probably enjoy this. To my way of thinking, Sherlock Holmes and Lovecraft fans are better off avoiding it. What it may accomplish is sending inexperienced readers to Doyle and Lovecraft if they fancy this novel and haven’t read those two authors. 

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter / Theodora Goss

3.75 out of 5 stars

Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture…a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes.

But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.

When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.


***The Summer of Sherlock 2019*** 

I’m giving this book 4 stars simply because it combined so many of the Victorian things that often get written about (plus one I’d never heard of before). Obviously, from my Summer reading list, I’ve read a LOT of fiction involving Sherlock Holmes. He is very attractive to modern writers (and I’ve got some ideas why).

But this book throws in so many things! Firstly The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Tales of Terror. Then add The Island of Doctor Moreau, Frankenstein, with a little bit of Draculathrown in for good measure. And there is the irresistible lure of Jack the Ripper! Plus I must now track down Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story Rappaccini's Daughter, to learn more about the poisonous Beatrice.

So much fiction right now is based on Victorian London--it really holds appeal for the modern writer & reader. I wonder if it’s because we live in a time of uneasy change, just like the Victorian era. The industrial revolution was in full swing, just as we are seemingly immersed in the Internet age. The traditional role of women was being challenged just as the Me Too movement has shaken things up in our society. There were more & more people who actually wanted to help those less fortunate rather than maintain their low status, just as we are starting to realize that more & more people are wanting to come to more prosperous countries to start new lives. I think that these similarities draw us to updated Victorian tales. For me, it is especially the feminizing of popular Victorian literature that appeals. Inserting more independent women or women striving for independence.

Perhaps there is also some nostalgia for the times before DNA and forensics, back to when police had to have their wits about them in order to solve crimes. Our tendency to idealize the Good Old Days, which I don’t have to point out weren’t so good for everybody--particularly anyone who was not a wealthy white man. 

Still, I enjoyed this combination of so many literary works and I can certainly see it’s roots in the author’s dissertation. I’ll be interested to read the next book to see where she takes these characters that she has forged into the Athena Club (which is an excellent name, by the way).

In an Absent Dream / Seanan McGuire

4.25 out of 5 stars

This fourth entry and prequel tells the story of Lundy, a very serious young girl who would rather study and dream than become a respectable housewife and live up to the expectations of the world around her. As well she should.

When she finds a doorway to a world founded on logic and reason, riddles and lies, she thinks she's found her paradise. Alas, everything costs at the goblin market, and when her time there is drawing to a close, she makes the kind of bargain that never plays out well.

It’s been a long time since I read Lewis Carroll’s Alice and I’m still gradually working my way through C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series. Both are good portal fantasy in their way, but I’m truly loving the Wayward Children series. I’m also appreciating that there are some echoes ofMiss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children in the form of Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. 

I’m particularly fond of this volume of Wayward Children, as McGuire explores the nature of the societies that we live in. What is fairness? Do you have to choose between friends and family? Should you have to? What are the unspoken assumptions that govern our lives?

This tale makes particularly good use of the poem Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti. McGuire has skillfully woven many details from that lovely work into her own tale. “There is no friend like a sister” states the poem and Lundy, separated from her sister by a magical doorway, must decide whether to stay with her friend Moon beyond the magic door or to live with her sister in what we would call reality. 

I identified with Lundy in several ways--being more interested in books than in classmates, being unhappy with being treated second-class to boys, and being anxious to move away from home and live life on my own terms. Lundy finds the Goblin Market world, where if one doesn’t deal fairly with others, the consequences show up on the body. Everyone in this world believes in the fairness of the deal, rather in the same way that our system of capitalism “believes” in the fairness of the “free market.” Lundy’s father eventually points out to her that the Goblin Market may not be a fair as she assumed as a young child.

A very short, sweet book, well worth the reader’s time. I hope it will become as classic as Alice, Narnia and Oz.

His Last Bow / Arthur Conan Doyle

4 stars out of 5

Sherlock Holmes's fearless chronicler Dr Watson once again opens his notebooks to bring to light eight further tales of some of the strangest and most fascinating cases to come before the enquiring mind of London's most famous detective.

These mysteries involve the disappearance of secret plans as well as of a lady of noble standing; the curious circumstances of Wisteria Lodge and of the Devil's Foot; as well as the story His Last Bow, the last outing of Holmes and Watson on the eve of the First World War.

I believe that I have now read all of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. Plus I have read a lot of fiction that uses his great detective as a character--largely novels. I am truly impressed with Doyle’s skill--he manages to give such detail and delight in the short story format. We come away from his fiction feeling like we know all about Mr. Holmes and like John Watson would be our friend if we ran into him. No wonder people show up at their iconic address in London, as if expecting the famous duo to still be there.

In this collection, we get a better sense of Mycroft Holmes and his importance to the government. One wonders what he would think of Boris Johnson and Brexit. No doubt both brothers would have opinions on the matter! Whether they would share those opinions is another question.

I’m glad to have read the entire Holmes canon and now I think I may turn my attention to a biography of Arthur Conan Doyle and some of his other fiction. 

The Return of Sherlock Holmes / Arthur Conan Doyle

4 out of 5 stars

Missing, presumed dead, for three years, Sherlock Holmes returns triumphantly to his dear companion Dr Watson. And not before time! London has never been in more need of his extraordinary services: a murderous individual with an air gun stalks the city.

Among thirteen further brilliant tales of mystery, detection and deduction, Sherlock Holmes investigates the problem of the Norwood Builder, deciphers the message of the Dancing Men, and cracks the case of the Six Napoleons.

***The Summer of Sherlock 2019*** 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle may have been reluctant to raise Sherlock Holmes from the dead, but he certainly provided some entertaining stories after his sudden return.

I confess that I was quite chuffed when I had figured out what was going on in The Adventure of the Six Napoleons before the great detective was ready to reveal the motivation of the criminal. And I still have some nagging memories concerning The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton, as I am sure that I have previously encountered this plotline and I cannot remember where! Most likely in a more recent book in which someone has borrowed from the master, but I am being driven mad because I cannot recall the source.

I am so glad that Doyle brought Holmes back if only because we gotThe Adventure of the Dancing Men out of the deal. What an excellent story of code-breaking and villain-catching!

I hold the author to blame, however, for the idea that men should be cold, intellectual, and detached from society. I think that our society would be much better if more men aspired to be John Watson, rather than Sherlock Holmes!

A Study in Scarlet Women / Sherry Thomas

4 out of 5 stars

With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society. But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London. 

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her.

But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.

***The Summer of Sherlock 2019*** 

”With your penchant for diminishing a man to little more than a shell of his former manhood, it never ceases to amaze me that you managed to receive all the proposals you did.”
She had indeed reaped her fair share, including one from his brother, Lord Bancroft, her favorite proposal of them all.
“It’s my decolletage--when gentlemen stare at my bosom they don’t hear a word I say. I strongly believe that if trees sprouted breasts tomorrow they would soon be wearing wedding rings.”
He chortled.

What a pleasant surprise! Of all the Holmes pastiche that I have read this summer, this was by far the most original and entertaining. I loved Charlotte Holmes, a young debutante who sees no future to be desired in marriage and has difficulty mastering the small talk and calorie control that is expected of her. She accidentally scares many people with her observations and has a tendency to eviscerate the men who dare to approach. Despite this, she received numerous proposals, all of which she has refused to her parents great unhappiness.

Charlotte makes a deal with her father--if she reaches 18 without finding a man she wishes to marry, he will foot the bill for her education as she attempts to become the administrator of a girls school. When Charlotte reaches that age and tries to obtain her desire, her father reneges. 

This novel consists of the adventures of a young Victorian woman discovering a way to support herself and remain independent of the men in her life. Part of this is the development of her alter-ego, Sherlock Holmes. With the widow Mrs. Watson by her side (John Watson, as it happens, was killed and buried in Afghanistan). 

Books like this one are wish-fulfillment stories for those of us women who choose to remain single and support ourselves. I wish there had been more of this kind of imaginative history available when I was a much younger woman. As it is, I still enjoyed it a great deal and I can hardly wait to get my hands on the next book.

The Last of August / Brittany Cavallaro

3 out of 5 stars

Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter-break reprieve after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But Charlotte isn’t the only Holmes with secrets, and the mood at her family’s Sussex estate is palpably tense. On top of everything else, Holmes and Watson could be becoming morethan friends—but still, the darkness in Charlotte’s past is a wall between them.

A distraction arises soon enough, because Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring. The game is afoot once again, and Charlotte is single-minded in her pursuit.

Their first stop? Berlin. Their first contact? August Moriarty (formerly Charlotte’s obsession, currently believed by most to be dead), whose powerful family has been ripping off famous paintings for the last hundred years. But as they follow the gritty underground scene in Berlin to glittering art houses in Prague, Holmes and Watson begin to realize that this is a much more complicated case than a disappearance. Much more dangerous, too.

What they learn might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other. 

***The Summer of Sherlock 2019*** 

The next logical step from where A Study in Charlotte left off. Jamie and Charlotte (Watson and Holmes) alternate between bickering and huddling together for comfort. Mostly under the watchful eye of August Moriarty, who is officially dead and unofficially working for Charlotte’s brother, Milo. 

If I was a high school student who longed to be treated like an adult, this would be the book for me. As it is, I am well over 50 and found it to be a trifle over-the-top for my tastes. Rather like many of the spy thrillers that I read last year during my Summer of Spies. How else would teens end up chartering helicopters and booking hotels in Berlin? 

Jamie Watson retains his great-grandfather’s role as the chronicler, but seems to get beaten up a little more frequently than that medical gentleman. August has been trying, unsuccessfully, to patch up the rift between the Holmes and Moriarty families. I had erroneously supposed there was only one more book--is it bad that I was dismayed to find two of them? I’m unsure whether I will finish the series this summer. There’s an awful lot of Sherlock Holmes pastiche out there and I would prefer to sample other writers rather than finish up this series.

Stone of Tears / Terry Goodkind

2.5 stars out of 5

In Wizard's First Rule, Richard Cypher's world was turned upside down. Once a simple woods guide, Richard was forced to become the Seeker of Truth, to save the world from the vile dominance of Darken Rahl, the most viciously savage and powerful wizard the world had ever seen. He was joined on this epic quest by his beloved Kahlan, the only survivor among the Confessors, who brought a powerful but benevolent justice to the land before Rahl's evil scourge. Aided by Zedd, the last of the wizards who opposed Rahl, they were able to cast him into the underworld, saving the world from the living hell of life under Rahl.

But the veil to the underworld has been torn, and Rahl, from beyond the veil, begins to summon a sinister power more dreadful than any he has wielded before. Horrifying creatures escape through the torn veil, wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting world above.

If Rahl isn't stopped, he will free the Keeper itself, an evil entity whose power is so vast and foul that once freed, it can never again be contained.

Richard and Kahlan must face Rahl and the Keeper's terrible minions. But first, Richard must endure the ministrations of the Sisters of the Light, or die from the pain of magic that is his birthright and his curse. While Richard undertakes the arduous journey to the forbidden city of the Sisters, Kahlan must embark upon a long and dangerous mission to Aydindril, citadel of the old wizards, where she hopes to find Zedd and the help only he can lend to their desperate cause.

War, suffering, torture, and deceit lie in their paths, and nothing will save them from a destiny of violent death, unless their courage and faith are joined with luck and they find the elusive...Stone of Tears.

Let’s call this 2.5 stars for my reading experience of this volume. I was quite shocked, as I had enjoyed the first book enough to give it 3.5 stars. But reading this one just wore me down. Just as the first volume dwelt lingeringly and lovingly on Denna’s torture of Richard, this volume seems to document the brutality and misogyny of the Imperial army in the same way. 

Finally, just over 80% of the way through, I reached a point where I just couldn’t take any more and resolved to set the book aside until I could face that level of hatred & violence again. Now, I get that Goodkind is setting the bad guys up as truly evil with these attitudes of theirs, but I am a woman and when I read all this violence and vitriol against women, it grinds me down. I hear enough of this shite in the news each day and reading it in this extreme form in literature too just feels like masochism. 

Last night, feeling buoyed up by my Sherlock Holmes summer project, I resolved to finish this book. I am pleased to report that the hiatus did the trick--I was able to finish the novel without noticeable distress. And now Richard and I have learned the Wizard’s Second Rule--you may do things with kindness as your intention, but these acts may lead to unexpected negative consequences. As they say, no good deed goes unpunished.

I have planned to read the third book in this series before the end of the year. I have to say that I’m kind of dreading it and that I am already planning to use my new strategy for reading it. The Blood of the Fold are another bunch of misogynist assholes, so I’m planning plenty of breaks while I read that sucker. I can’t guarantee that I will finish it, but I will give it an honest try.

Book number 324 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project. 

A Study in Charlotte / Brittany Cavallaro

3.5 stars out of 5

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.

From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they

can trust are each other.

***The Summer of Sherlock 2019*** 

This is a cute and somewhat melodramatic version of a Holmes story. Time has moved on, James Watson is the great-great-great grandson of Dr. John Watson. He has been exiled from his beloved London to a boarding school in Connecticut, only to find Charlotte Holmes already there and with quite the reputation for herself. Of course, they end up trying to solve a mystery together, mostly in self defense as either one of them has a motive for killing their classmate. 

In some ways, this reminded me of The Name of the Star. Charlotte’s room-mate, Lena, reminded me of Rory’s roomie in that book. There isn’t the same paranormal aspect to this novel, but the whole boarding school vibe definitely made me link them in my mind.

I found it interesting that the author made all of these families (Watsons, Holmes, and Moriartys) work into the story, but also mentioned the Doyles. Mixing the fictional and the real, but with heavy emphasis on the fictional. And of course it makes sense that there would be descendents of all of the families available to interact in the modern world.

I’ve already requested the next volume to see where this series takes Charlotte and Jamie.

They Promised Me the Gun Wasn't Loaded / James Alan Gardner

4 out of 5 stars

Only days have passed since a freak accident granted four college students superhuman powers. Now Jools and her friends (who haven't even picked out a name for their superhero team yet) get caught up in the hunt for a Mad Genius's misplaced super-weapon.

But when Jools falls in with a modern-day Robin Hood and his band of super-powered Merry Men, she finds it hard to sort out the Good Guys from the Bad Guys--and to figure out which side she truly belongs on.

Especially since nobody knows exactly what the Gun does . . . .

A fond homage to the comic book superhero. The books feature four young women who have accidentally acquired super-powers. The first book featured Kim/K/Zircon and this second book is all Jools/Ninety Nine. I loved Jools in the first book, so this one was a treat.

Jools is the jock who had been drinking too much and flunking out of university up to this point. Now she has some kind of mental link to the internet and mad inventor skilz. Previously, her main aims in life are to play hockey and absorb booze. Now, Jools must find out what her life as a Spark is going to look like. I really like her snarky humour and her outlook on both her old and new lives.

”My family lives in Edmonton and I went to see them for Christmas. Ten days of R&R with my father and four snoopy sisters. Fortunately, their questions were all “Do you have an actual boyfriend yet?” rather than “Have you accidentally acquired superpowers?”

“‘Invie’ is short for ‘The Inventor’; what he invents are gadgets above and beyond physics. They’re what we call ‘Cape Tech’ because ‘Mad Genius crap that defies the laws of God’ sounds judgy.

“I’m fine now,” I say. “I could model for Elle. Or at least Horse and Rider.”

A handful of super-smart inventor types have managed to stay sane, but dozens of others spend their time prancing about in jackboots and building armines of giant zombie dinosaurs. Whenever I tell myself I’m strong enough to resist that temptation, a voice in my head says, “You can’t resist Cheezies. You think you’re gonna resist going evil?”

Maybe I’ll make a fanny pack with useful odds and ends. Or a utility belt! I could build a utility belt! Cuz nothing says “super” like someone whose belt weights ninety-five pounds and sags down to show her butt crack.

I could just go on quoting--there are too many scenes where Jools has something amusing to say.

I am assuming that the remaining two room-mates will get their own books soon. At least I hope so. I am very much looking forward to hearing this author speak at When Words Collide next month!

A Study in Sable / Mercedes Lackey

3 out of 5 stars

Psychic Nan Killian and Medium Sarah Lyon-White—along with their clever birds, the raven Neville and the parrot Grey—have been agents of Lord Alderscroft, the Elemental Fire Master known as the Wizard of London, since leaving school. Now, Lord Alderscroft assigns them another commission: to work with the famous man living at 221 Baker Street—but not the one in flat B. They are to assist the man living in flat C. Dr. John Watson and his wife Mary, themselves Elemental Masters of Water and Air, take the occult cases John’s more famous friend disdains, and they will need every skill the girls and their birds can muster!

Nan and Sarah’s first task: to confront and eliminate the mysterious and deadly entity that nearly killed them as children: the infamous Haunt of Number 10 Berkeley Square. But the next task divides the girls for the first time since they were children. A German opera star begs Sarah for help, seeking a Medium’s aid against not just a single spirit, but a multitude. As Sarah becomes more deeply entwined with the Prima Donna, Nan continues to assist John and Mary Watson alone, only to discover that Sarah’s case is far more sinister than it seems. It threatens to destroy not only a lifelong friendship, but much, much more. 

***2019 The Summer of Sherlock*** 

This is one of the weirder tributes to Sherlock Holmes that I have read. I really enjoyed Lackey’s The Last Herald Mage series and was hoping that I could jump into this Elemental Masters series at book number 11 without any problems. It is easy enough to get the hang of this world, but I couldn’t help but think that Mr. Holmes and John & Mary Watson could have been swapped out for other characters without hurting the narrative one bit. I am not sure why the author used them, but she must be a fan.

This is mostly a paranormal adventure story, not something that one would expect to find Sherlock Holmes at all interested in. (In fairness, he isn’t interested at first and only gets drawn in close to the end). It’s not a particularly complex story and is mostly about the ghost-contacting and psychical skills of the two main characters, Sarah and Nan. They each have what I would call a familiar, an African Grey Parrot and a Raven. The birds were an interesting touch, and made more sense than the horse-shaped Companions of The Last Herald Mage series. 

I already have the next book, A Scandal in Battersea, signed out of the library, so I will probably read it, but I wouldn’t have been ready to search for it if it wasn’t readily available. Not the greatest Holmes pastiche, but unlikely to the worst either. Sherlock Holmes aficionados should stay well away, this is for paranormal fantasy readers!

Speaking in Cod Tongues / Lenore Newman

4 out of 5 stars 

Speaking in Cod Tongues explores the centers of Canadian cuisine, from ocean to prairie, and from the height of urban dining to picnics in the wilderness. From bakeapples to fiddleheads, from maple syrup to k'aaw, Speaking in Cod Tongues celebrates a young and vibrant cuisine.

When I was a child, I had a pen-pal in Korea. He asked me what should have been an easy question: what is the national dish of Canada? My mother and I talked it over, but really couldn’t come to any conclusion--Canada is so regionalized that you really can’t use any one recipe to represent all of us.

What we do have (to some extent) are Canadian ingredients: maple syrup, wild berries of several types, maybe salmon. We claim two sweet desserts: the butter tart and Nanaimo bars. We have some of our very own junk food: Cheezies, Smarties, ketchup chips, among others.

This author points out that Canadian cuisine features many wild foods: berries, fiddleheads, mushrooms, wild rice, bison, fish, dulse. My maternal grandmother came from New Brunswick, and through her I was introduced to fiddleheads (young, curled fern shoots) and dulse (dried seaweed). I can’t say that I enjoy either of those foods. Through my paternal grandmother, I was introduced to Danish delicacies--I especially remember the heavy, dark rye bread that she produced in her kitchen. 

Growing up on a farm, I remember the seasonality of our food, back in the day. I’m still a scrounger for the first rhubarb of the season and I was thrilled when my sister gave me some fresh spinach and a head of lettuce out of her garden on the weekend. Vegetables were limited by the end of winter and we were always excited for the new garden produce. It turns out that Canadian cuisine was local and seasonal before that was cool. We have made Farmers Markets a very popular item throughout the country. 

Another popular Canadian pastime is taking the food outdoors. Summer is short and we believe in going on picnics, hosting outdoor barbeques, and eating in the backyard or the camp-site as often as possible. I live in Calgary, the epicentre of pancake breakfasts. People set up the outdoor pancake griddle for virtually any occasion.

I had never realized before that J.L. Kraft was from Ontario, but left to the United States to “perfect” his cheese-preserving technology. And Canadians have certainly embrace what we call Kraft Dinner or KD. You know that neon orange cheese and macaroni? “Canadians buy 1.7 million of the 7 million boxes sold globally each week” according to Wikipedia. Not sure we should be proud of that….

The other national obsession seems to be the Tim Horton’s chain, where Canadians gather to swill coffee, and eat doughnuts and Timbits (supposedly the doughnut holes, but actually made with a completely different dough formulation). The double-double is a Canadian thing (a coffee with two creams and two sugars). While we can’t claim to have invented the doughnut, we have certainly embraced it.

The cooking of our immigrants has also become a permanent part of the Canadian scene. See Ann Hui’s book Chop Suey Nation: The Legion Cafe and Other Stories from Canada’s Chinese Restaurants for the saga of the Chinese cafe and restaurant in Canada. The talent of the Chinese immigrants was to take fresh local ingredients and use their own cooking techniques to create food for their communities. Speaking as a Calgarian, I love our local “Chinese” dish, ginger beef. Other regions have their own beloved creations.

I have to also say that I was delighted to find reference in this book to my favourite history professor at University of Calgary, Henry Klassen. Dr. Klassen was a methodical lecturer and a meticulous researcher. I loved the courses that I took from him and he was always ready with a smile when I met him on campus, even many years later. I was saddened when I learned of his death in 2005. This reference to his work means that he lives on and for that I am glad. 

All in all, I could have used this book back when I had that Korean pen-pal, but I am glad to have read it now.

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes / Arthur Conan Doyle

3 out of 5 stars

n this, the final collection of Sherlock Holmes adventures, the intrepid detective and his faithful companion Dr Watson examine and solve twelve cases that puzzle clients, baffle the police and provide readers with the thrill of the chase.

These mysteries - involving an illustrious client and a Sussex vampire; the problems of Thor Bridge and of the Lions Mane; a creeping man and the three-gabled house - all test the bravery of Dr Watson and the brilliant mind of Mr Sherlock Homes, the greatest detective we have ever known.

***The Summer of Sherlock 2019*** 

The last collection of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories about the great detective. They’re not bad, but they certainly are not his best efforts either. By this time, he had already tried to kill Mr. Holmes and had to revive him. These last few stories, it seems, were written as money making ventures. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, authors should make money from their creations. I guess what I’m saying is that Doyle’s heart really didn’t seem to be in these stories.

There also seems to be an awful lot of violence and unhappiness. In The Adventure of the Illustrious Client there is an evil criminal who is “ruining” women just for the pure misogynistic joy of it. Plus, there is vitriol throwing, disfiguring those that it doesn’t kill. The Adventure of the Three Gables has racism on display in an ugly fashion. Two of the stories feature dysfunctional families and marriages that are obviously in trouble (The Adventure of the Sussex Vampireand The Problem of Thor Bridge). In the first, there is potential for the spouses to reconcile, but in the second, the unfaithful husband seems to be almost rewarded and definitely goes unpunished. There is also disfigurement in The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger.”

Two of the stories have medical solutions: The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier, which at least ends semi-happily and The Adventure of the Creeping Man, a tale of medical quackery.

Disappointing or not, they are part of the Holmes canon and I am glad to have read them.

All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault / James Alan Gardner

Monsters are real.
But so are heroes.

Sparks are champions of weird science. Boasting capes and costumes and amazing super-powers that only make sense if you don't think about them too hard, they fight an eternal battle for truth and justice . . . mostly.

Darklings are creatures of myth and magic: ghosts, vampires, were-beasts, and the like. Their very presence warps reality. Doors creak at their approach. Cobwebs gather where they linger.

Kim Lam is an ordinary college student until a freak scientific accident (what else?) transforms Kim and three housemates into Sparks--and drafts them into the never-ending war between the Light and Dark. They struggle to master their new abilities--and (of course) to design cool costumes and come up with great hero-names.

Turns out that "accident" was just the first salvo in a Mad Genius's latest diabolical scheme. Now it's up to four newbie heroes to save the day, before they even have a chance to figure out what their team's name should be! 

4.2567891 stars

This was a truly fun book and I am so glad that I will get a chance to hear the author speak next month! I confess that I had never heard of him until he became a keynote speaker for the When Words Collide conference here in Calgary. I am so glad to have discovered him and his Dark/Spark series.

I am a great fan of fantasy, but when I originally read the blurb for this book, I had my doubts whether it was really for me. Once again, I am shown that I shouldn’t judge a book by [what is written on] the cover. I was only a paragraph or two into the novel when I realized that it was going to be a bunch of fun.

I especially appreciated the dialog--both between Kim/Zircon and her compatriots and her inner monologue. Then, there were things like vampires buying blood from human donors--not wanting to call it “blood money,” it becomes known as “trickle down.” Take that Ronald Reagan! So many things made me grin like a looney!

That’s the biggest reason, I think, that I enjoyed this book so thoroughly--I often struggle with written humour, but in this book I just GOT it. Maybe because the author is also Canadian, but I was amused by so many details. Because of course one Canadian hero is going to be a super hockey player and name herself after Wayne Gretzky. Ninety Nine became my favourite character and I am excited to see that she will have a starring role in the next book. And, yes, I have already requested it from the library and hope to have it in my hot little hands next week.

I am so pleased to have discovered this author! I can hardly wait to hear what he has to tell about his creations and his process. Just a month away!

The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes / Leonard Goldberg

3 out of 5 Stars

1910. Joanna Blalock unknowingly is the product of a sole assignation between the late Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler. After the nurse and her ten-year-old son see a man fall to his death in an apparent suicide, elderly Dr. John Watson and his charming handsome son Dr. John Watson Jr. invite her to join their detective team. From hidden treasure to the Second Afghan War of 1878-1880, the group devise an ingenious plan to catch a murderer in the act while dodging Scotland Yard the British aristocracy. 

***The Summer of Sherlock 2019*** 

I am quite amazed at the sheer number of authors who can’t resist writing about the great detective! In this offering, it is a male author, giving us his version of a daughter of Sherlock Holmes. 

I rather like the enhanced role it gives to Dr. Watson, the surviving member of the duo. He and his dashing son, also a doctor, set about solving a mystery which Joanna Blalock has witnessed. She is soon part of the investigative team and very much on Watson Junior’s mind. 

The story is a bit on the predictable side. There is a cunning criminal, a Lestrade Junior as a foil for the Watson team, a developing romance between Joanna & John Junior, and a plot line very reminiscent of The Sign of the Four.

There are two more books in the series, both of which are available through my public library. However, I am in no rush to get them--there are so many other Holmes pastiche books to be sampled during my summer project and I found this one a bit on the dry side.

Hell and Damnation / Marq de Villiers

3 out of 5 stars

In Hell and Damnation, bestselling author Marq de Villiers takes readers on a journey into the strange richness of the human imaginings of hell, deep into time and across many faiths, back into early Egypt and the 5,000-year-old Mesopotamian epic of Gilgamesh. This urbane, funny, and deeply researched guide ventures well beyond the Nine Circles of Dante's Hell and the many medieval Christian visions into the hellish descriptions in Islam, Buddhism, Jewish legend, Japanese traditions, and more.

My enjoyment of this book probably suffered from the fact that I finally got it through my library during the summer months. Some subjects don’t lend themselves to summertime reading and Hell and damnation are two of those subjects. Nevertheless, it was an interesting read (especially since I’m reading Terry Goodkind’s Stone of Tears at the same time and it seems that he was reading the section on the tortures of Hell to provide the plot for his novel.)

It is remarkable how several religions have come up with the same kinds of ideas about the afterlife. The Buddhists have lots of different hells for lots of different sins, but they are pretty much self-service establishments--no one is overseeing your punishment. Christianity and Islam don’t much trust sinner to administer their own penalties and have awarded that role to Satan otherwise known as the Devil.

The history of Hell and the Devil are also fascinating, as scholars sort out how many of those details are cribbed from the Ancient Greeks & Romans, not to mention the Caananites who rivaled the early Jews. Most of the details which have come to be accepted by fundamentalists seem to come from literature external to the Bible, which I am willing to bet that not many of them realize.

Strangely, humans don’t seem to have much imagination when it comes to Heaven, as witnessed by the final chapter of the book. The descriptions of life and activities in Heaven are quite lacklustre verging on downright boring. 

An interesting partner to a book that I recently read, Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World's Holy Dead, about saintly relics. Both books are written with scholarly interest, although both authors display a sense of humour towards their subjects.

A Study in Silks / Emma Jane Holloway

3.5 stars out of 5

London, April 4, 1888 ~ Evelina Cooper, niece of Sherlock Holmes, is ready for her first London Season - except for a murderer, missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse. In a Victorian era ruled by a ruthless steam baron council, mechanical power is the real monarch, and sorcery the demon enemy of the empire. Evelina has secretly mastered a coveted weapon - magic that can run machines. Should she trust the handsome, clever rake who speeds her breath, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything she would ask?

***The Summer of Sherlock 2019*** 


A very steampunk story, with an indirect connection to Sherlock Holmes. The author gives the great detective a sister, who has produced this niece before dying. The niece has been retrieved from her father’s side of the family, a circus family. That’s as in trapezes, not in family hysterics!

So it’s way out there, Holmes-wise. I can’t help but think that the author could have made up a famous detective of her own to fill in for the detective uncle and the story would have been just as good. However, it does tie into a late Holmes story, The Problem of Thor Bridge. This is obviously where Holloway got her inspiration for the Gold King, and the various steambarons who divide London up between them with their monopolistic business ventures.

There are clockwork devices and occasional magic, not at all the usual stuff of Sherlock Holmes stories, but it was a fun little romp and I’m looking forward to the next book. Our heroine, Evelina Cooper, will undoubtedly have to choose between her two men, circus performer Nick and blue blood Tobias. Having burned bridges with both of them in this volume, it will be interesting to see how the author ropes them back in during the next book.

I would warn away the Sherlock Holmes purists from this series, but if you are into Steampunk paranormal romances, A Study in Silks is pretty decent.

The Horse and his Boy /

3 out of 5 Stars

Bree, the talking horse, has been kidnapped from Narnia, and longs to return. Shasta decides to run away with him. Before they know it, they are on a wild and dangerous journey together, through strange cities, eerie tombs and harsh deserts.

I know for a fact that I read this book as a child. We had a small school library and I read every book in it that had anything to do with horses. I have always been obsessive like that--when I find a subject that interests me, I read everything I can get my hands on about it. Despite this, I did not remember a word of The Horse and His Boy.

My first thought is that the title would make you believe that it was Bree, the Narnian horse, who should have been telling the tale. Instead, it is largely seen from Shasta’s point of view.

There are some very obvious Christian allusions in this book. While Shasta is going to Narnia to warn the kingdom of invasion, there is a very Psalm-like portion where Aslan walks by his side (and, he realizes later, protects him from walking over a cliff). It’s a very “In the valley of the shadow of death” moment. Plus, there is a “Doubting Thomas” event as well, where Aslan allows the doubter to touch him, to see that he is real. 

I also found it interesting how Lewis combined Greek mythology with Christian influences. That was particularly strong when the stubborn prince is turned into a donkey. Aslan gives him a solution--he can go to his kingdom’s harvest festival and become a man again by presenting himself in the temple. He must stay within a certain radius of this temple to avoid becoming a donkey on a permanent basis. This part of the tale reminded me strongly of Aesop’s Fables.

I don’t know why this story didn’t grab me when I was a child, but it didn’t. Now, as an older adult, I am well past the age that it was written for. I doubt that I will ever read it again, but I will finish this series eventually.

A Study in Emerald / Neil Gaiman

3.5 stars out of 5

This supernatural mystery set in the world of Sherlock Holmes and Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos features a brilliant detective and his partner as they try to solve a horrific murder.

The complex investigation takes the Baker Street investigators from the slums of Whitechapel all the way to the Queen's Palace as they attempt to find the answers to this bizarre murder of cosmic horror!

***The Summer of Sherlock 2019*** 

3.5 stars

I didn’t read any of the available information on this graphic novel, choosing instead to go in relatively blind and see where it took me. I was entertained. A fun mash-up of the Sherlock Holmes and Cthulhu stories of Conan Doyle and Lovecraft respectively. 

This is an interesting alternate historical timeline and I’m hoping maybe that Mr. Gaiman may be convinced to produce another volume and move the story along? 

I note that neither the Holmes-like character nor the Watson-like one are actually named in this version. In fact, there is a reference to a limping Doctor named Watson at some point, leading me to believe that Holmes & Watson are out there somewhere, waiting to be discovered.

I love the artwork in this one, especially the depictions of the two main characters. I will look for more work produced by these artists.

Body on Baker Street / Vicki Delany

3.5 stars out of 5

Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are busy managing the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium on Baker Street and adjoining Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room in anticipation of the store's upcoming book signing with the illustrious Renalta Van Markoff, author of the controversial Hudson and Holmes mystery series. But during the author Q&A session, dedicated Sherlockian Donald Morris verbally attacks Renalta and her series for disgracing Sherlock's legacy, only to be publicly humiliated when the author triumphantly lashes back and gains the upper hand. That is until Renalta collapses on the table--dead. Donald insists he didn't do it and pleads to his friends to clear his name. Fortunately, Gemma and Jayne have no shortage of suspects between author's bullied personal assistant, her frustrated publicist, the hapless publisher, a handsome rare book dealer, an obsessively rabid fan, and a world of other Sherlock enthusiasts with strong objections to Renalta's depiction of the Great Detective. It's up to the shrewd sleuthing duo to eliminate the impossible and deduce the truth before the West London police arrest an innocent man.

***The Summer of Sherlock 2019*** 

I realize that I’ve read volumes 1 & 2 of this series too close together for my complete enjoyment. This one feels very, very similar to the first volume and if I’d left more time between the two, that feeling wouldn’t be quite so strong. But that’s on me, not the author, for choosing to read them so close in time.

Each book has its own narrative arch, which should be the main draw, but for me, it’s the ongoing details, the relationships that drive my desire to read. And the relationships in this one are stuck pretty much in the same spot as they were in Elementary, She Read. Gemma is still trying not to carry a torch for her cop ex-boyfriend and wondering about the rare book dealer that she’s gone on a date or two with. Her BFF Jayne is still seeing a man who Gemma considers to be a useless sort and a nearby bar owner can’t seem to get Jayne’s attention.

Cozy mysteries like this one really lack the tension factor that I value in a mystery. The stakes just don’t seem to be high enough to keep me engaged. Delany is no slouch as a writer, but she needs to fish or cut bait soon with regard to moving the relationships along or complicating them or something. I find myself wishing for more of something--more tension, more emotion, more complications. 

Although the next book is sitting mere shelves away from me in the library, I’m resisting the urge to go sign it out. Despite the desire to see what happens next, I need some time. Absence should make the heart grow fonder, yes?

A Matter of Malice / Thomas King

When a TV producer asks Thumps to assist with an episode about a local woman from a wealthy family whose death was ruled “misadventure,” he is reluctant to get involved. Then the producer dies in the exact same manner, and Thumps finds himself solving two cases.

Can a reality TV show solve a cold case?

The crew of a true-crime reality TV show, Malice Aforethought, shows up in Chinook to do an episode about the death of Trudy Samuels. Trudy’s death had originally been ruled accidental, but with ratings in mind, one of the producers, Nina Maslow, wants to prove it was murder. And she wants Thumps to help. Thumps is reluctant to get involved until Nina dies in the exact same place and in the exact same way as Trudy. Are the two deaths related? Or are there two murderers on the loose in Chinook? Thumps uses Nina’s Malice Aforethought files to try to fit the pieces of the puzzle together, and in the process discovers that she had already started work on another case close to Thumps' heart: the Obsidian murders.

Sometimes it’s not a good idea to read two books in a series so close together. I put a hold on this book at my library right after finishing Cold Skies: A DreadfulWater Mystery and I regret nothing! Thumps DreadfulWater is an excellent character and King has created a wonderful supporting cast for him in the town of Chinook, Montana. 

A reality television film crew comes to Chinook to poke about in an old, unhealed case. Was it a murder? A suicide? Can anyone find out this many years later? Thumps is the man for the cold case and Sheriff Duke Hockney makes sure that he can’t escape the assignment. Really, all they have to do is engage the problem solving part of Thumps’ brain, and he is hooked until the thing is solved. Now, if only he would put that much effort into his own health!

I was a little disappointed to have the Freeway/Pops (cat and dog) storyline fade out of this book, but I guess it’s kind of like the advice not to act with children or animals….they kind of stole the show in the last book, but in a good way. Somehow I don’t think Freeway can be counted out of things entirely. Who knows what will happen after the next book? Freeway and Claire seem to have some similarities and Claire will be gone for a while too. Long enough for Thumps to take care of his unfinished business, perhaps?

I can hardly wait for the next installment The Obsidian Murders: A DreadfulWater Mystery next year. If we’re lucky, Mr. King won’t be done with Thumps at that point!