A Death in Diamonds / S.J. Bennett

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Four books in and I'm still enamoured with this series. I love how Bennett treats her main character, Queen Elizabeth II. I think when we only see someone on the news or in the fan press, it's easy to forget that they are human beings just like you and me. We saw the professional Queen but didn't get to peek behind that armor to acknowledge her doubts about her role, her insecurities concerning her appearance, or her desire to believe that her husband is hers alone.

Bennett gives us a monarch who is trying to find her way, revise her role. She is surrounded by her father's courtiers, the “men with mustaches,” who frustrate her with their assumptions that they always know better and that she's not strong enough to deal with unpleasant realities. She is learning how to get stern with them, make sure she gets the information she wants, and make sure they know who's boss. It was a struggle that many women identify with—being dismissed and underestimated by the men around them. The Queen does what so many of us do: she finds herself a female ally in Joan McGraw and the two of them deftly stick handle around the mustaches.

I love how Bennett also addresses the juicy rumours that everyone has heard. The herd of snappish corgis. The predilection of Prince Philip for tall blondes. The toughness of Princess Anne. The sensitivity of the young Prince Charles. She weaves it all into her novel convincingly but also interprets the facts to give a slightly different picture than the popular press did. She sees them as real people with strengths and weaknesses that are understandable, not as actors in a Royal soap opera.

Going back in time to write about a young Queen was an inspired impulse. The first three books alluded to her previous investigation experience and Bennett can supply us with those details now. I am already anticipating book 5.

Kills Well With Others / Deanna Raybourn

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are supposed to be retired assassins, but they are once again in someone's crosshairs and realizing that assassination is a difficult career to retire from. They are in their sixties and, although older and wiser, have physical limitations that make the gig harder. So they are understandably cranky and a bit snappish with each other. However, they are still a team, they know each other well, and are capable of quick and inspired planning.

Most of my pleasure in reading this novel was based on Raybourn's authorial voice. She lets us oldies sympathize with the women's aches, pains, reluctance and reservations while also smiling at our recognition of our identification with those same things. No matter what you are retired from, when forced back into the traces, we balk like old horses when they see a cart. She references recent pop culture just enough (Would Marie Kondo approve? Does this murder spark joy?)

I find it interesting how many books I've run across recently that feature female assassins. My library delivered both this book and Louisiana Longshot within a very short time and I purchased Katya Noskov's Last Shot by a local author too, not so long ago. It feels like a safe way to channel some of the anger that modern life kindles in my soul.

Louisiana Longshot / Jana DeLeon

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Well, that was Fun with a capital F. Not the slightest bit serious, but written straight as a ruler. Fortune Redding is a CIA sniper on the run from a vindictive arms dealer. Her boss decides to stash her in a small town in Louisiana in the place of his niece, who is supposed to be cleaning out a deceased aunt's house. Fortune is nothing like Sandy Sue, but she has little choice in the matter. Sandy Sue has been a beauty contest participant, a model, and an actress. Fortune has a talent for wrecking high heels, couldn't care less about fashion, and displays eye-hand coordination unusual in a Southern belle.

Jana DeLeon knows a thing or two about life in Louisiana and in a very small town. This is because she grew up under those exact conditions, making her my kind of expert. Like Charlaine Harris, she keeps the town feeling real. They both know the truth—that strange and wonderful things can lurk beneath a sleepy small town appearance.

I loved the town's name: Sinful. DeLeon named it deliberately and uses it to her advantage humorously. She keeps the smiles coming relentlessly. Her sense of humour meshes with mine nicely. As I indicated above, she treats the ridiculous perfectly seriously, making it even funnier. I love the older ladies who team up with Fortune, imparting their wisdom while roping her into their shenanigans. They'll make you want to cheer for Woman Power. If I'm disappointed in anything, it's that the author may be setting up a romance for Fortune. Nothing good can come from that!

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime / Vicki Delany

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I cannot believe that I have just completed the tenth book in this series. I wondered after the ninth book, where it seemed that Delany had reverted to writing Gemma Doyle as an unbearable know-it-all. This time out, she does notice more than other people, but she isn't so obnoxious about it. I much prefer non-obnoxious Gemma.

Once again, Gemma and her posse are in London, this time for her sister Pippa's wedding. Gemma's luggage doesn't join her and she must shop before the event while everyone else gets their beauty sleep. As a result, Gemma leaves the reception early and runs into her ex-husband who appears to be waiting for her to appear. She eventually agrees to meet him the following day to discuss a book, but when she shows up at his bookshop, he is found dead in his office.

Of course Gemma is unable to simply let things be. She wants to know why Paul was killed, especially since he was obviously down on his luck. Things escalate (as usual) and once again we get to observe the sibling rivalry between Gemma and Pippa. There is also a very satisfying bar room brawl. I was completely diverted by those pleasures, and failed to figure things out. Not that I mind. It far better than being bored.

The Lies That Bind / Kate Carlisle

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I find this series absolutely delightful. There's enough mystery and action to balance the romance aspect. I'm a firm believer in slow burn romance, and Carlisle has managed to keep Brooklyn and Derek in the unsure romance dance for three books. Well done!

At an early stage in the book, I was shocked, thinking that the author had killed off Brooklyn's nemesis, Minka LaBoef. What would we do without her malign influence? Thankfully she was merely injured and horrified to realize that Brooklyn rescued her. She lives to torment our bookbinder again. Carlisle also excels at producing murder victims who seem to deserve their fates. Layla Fontaine is an obnoxious bully who gets what she wants with money, so I was unsurprised when Brooklyn discovered her body. Carlisle makes a bit of a joke about Brooklyn's talent for tripping over corpses, but even though it's highly unlikely, it fit with the other facets of the plot.

As usual, Brooklyn's family and Guru Bob fill meaningful roles in the story. I love how Guru Bob seems to know everything and to have been everywhere. His sponsorship of the mysterious Gabriel is also intriguing.

Looking forward to the next book!

The Reaping / Jess Lourey

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Steinbeck and Reed are two very damaged people who try very hard to protect others from similar fates. The first book of this series focused on Van Reed. In this volume it was Harry Steinbeck’s turn. They return to Harry's childhood home, Duluth, where he desperately hopes to avoid his mother. But Minnesota runs like a small town and gossip puts the kibosh on that desire.

There has been a murder which has disturbing echoes of an old cold case. Harry is the forensic guy and Van is the cold case investigator. Both crimes took place in a small town which was settled by Finnish families. By the look of the inhabitants, there hasn't been nearly enough out-crossing and the whole town's vibe is weird. It doesn't help that their only employer is a geriatric facility for serial killers, pretty creepy in it's own right.

Harry has spent years carrying a heavy load of guilt for the disappearance of his sister. The night she was taken, he was home from college and more focused on his old girlfriend than on listening to Caroline. If only he could remember what she said about the man who'd been following her, he might be able to find out what happened. Between the two cases and dealing with his difficult mother, Harry finds some equilibrium.

Judging by the final epilogue, which is told from Van's point of view, the next book will likely centre on her again, and the commune where she grew up. I can hardly wait—her prophetic dreams played only a small part in this novel, but are the major reason that I enjoy this series so much.

The Naturalist Society / Carrie Vaughn

 

4.5 out of 5 stars 

Most scientists seem to believe that taxonomy is one of the less thrilling fields of study. I was entranced with it when I first encountered it in Grade 7. If I had seen any way to turn it into a career, I might have tried harder to stay in the sciences in university. Carrie Vaughn has invented a way to make taxonomy a far more useful practice. The Arcanists in her world can harness the characteristics of the species that they know to change their environments. For example, channeling coolness by connecting with the Snowy Owl.

Beth Stanley was courted by and married to a man who appreciated her bird expertise and her Arcane ability. Of course, in this formal society, it is believed that women are incapable of either scientific interest or arcane talents. Harry Stanley has neither talent, but he covers for his wife, publishing her work under his name. They are a team until his unexpected death. Then Beth is stymied by the Old Boys Club, which can't be bothered to listen to a mere woman. This made me think of Mary Anning who mentored so many male paleontologists, Rosalind Franklin's work on DNA or Margaret Hamilton at NASA who was responsible for the Apollo program software. None of them were properly acknowledged for their expertise.

Beth feels intolerably hemmed in by propriety and her family's expectations. They don't want her to go birding, to travel on her own, to do the things that bring her joy. They are pressuring her to marry again. Some men from her husband's naturalist society have also figured out her secrets and want to take advantage of her by marriage. Well, except for one of her husband's best friends and his partner, who start out wanting her “husband's“ research, but become Beth's supportive friends .

If the suppression of women in historical times makes you irrationally angry, you may want to skip this book, because Beth experiences a lot of mistreatment. But if you are open to an unconventional and beautiful love triangle, this book may be just your thing. I loved that Beth rescues herself several times and claims her own happiness.