Hostage to Pleasure / Nalini Singh

 

2.7 stars out of 5

Every now and then, I return to one of Nalini Singh's series just to remind myself what they are like. If you like her, she is consistent—you will get what you expect. I always prefer the books which focus on Psy characters, so this volume suited me more than others. The machinations of the Psy Council intrigue me, as well as the actions of individual Psy citizens. If I had my way, these political manoeuvres would be in the foreground and all the relationship issues would be background, but I am apparently in the minority on this issue.

Ashaya makes a daring escape from a secure Psy facility, only to be thrown into the arms of Dorian, a latent leopard Changeling. They have had limited communication before, when Ashaya arranged for the rescue of two children from that same facility and Dorian was the sniper on the other side. Unbeknownst to either of them, they both have become obsessed with each other. This is a typical Singh set up. The majority of the book is spent on getting these two people switched from enemies to lovers. That can't possibly be a spoiler, as it is Singh's consistent pattern.

In short, if you are looking for a paranormal romance this series is a good bet. I prefer books that include a stronger mystery component, so although I like one of these occasionally, they will never be a mainstay of my reading life. 

Part of my 2022 Free Range Reading. Also an entry on my "Dude, where's my shirt?" shelf.

The Chalk Circle Man / Fred Vargas

 

2.5 stars? Maybe?

This is one of the oddest mysteries that I have read in years. The man that the series is named after, Jean-Baptiste Adamsburg, is very unlike your usual detective. He doesn't do much detecting or indeed much analysis. Indeed, he just seems to channel things from the ether. In the meantime, he fantasizes about a previous girlfriend, who just got up one morning, walked out the door, and disappeared from his life. He tries to avoid his current woman, who shows up on his doorstep occasionally. And he sleeps with his downstairs neighbour whenever she signals her willingness. Most fictional detectives can't maintain even one relationship, let alone juggle several.

Who would create such a main character? Well, my first discovery was that Fred is a woman, Frederique, and a historian and archaeologist with an expertise in the Black Death. She writes novels to relax, perhaps why Adamsburg has such a loose style of investigation.

So why did I keep on reading? Because of one older female character, Mathilde. An oceanographer with a penchant for collecting difficult people and being somewhat irritable herself. She divides the week in three parts: Monday to Wednesday, one may be optimistic, kind, sympathetic; Thursday to Saturday, it's a tougher outlook and bring out the booze please; she never does define what Sundays are about. She also has a bad habit of following people. She chooses a person for the day and keeps notes on what they do.

So when someone starts drawing large chalk circles around found items on the Paris streets with a cryptic question written around the edges, she wants to know more. Eventually, she runs across him, realizing that he is a man she has followed before. She brings herself to Adamsburg's attention by engineering a meeting with him after he becomes obviously interested in the Chalk Circle Man.

Mathilde and her two lodgers, Clemance and Charles, are the most interesting aspects of the book. Clemance is an older woman obsessed with answering personal ads in the newspaper (remember those?) in a vain attempt to look for love. Charles is a handsome but very bitter blind man who is often nasty to sighted people simply because he can get away with it. The antics of the three of them are highly entertaining.

The final answer to the mystery is ingenious, but Sherlock Holmes would shudder at the method. Hercule Poirot would be most affronted. I was merely nonplussed.

Callahan's Con / Spider Robinson

 

2 out of 5 stars

I got my Covid booster shot the other day and I'm all achy and crabby. Add to that a precarious balance on the edge of a reading slump. Desperate times call for desperate measures. When crabbiness and slumpiness attack at the same time, there are two alternatives: re-reading favourite books or reading books that I'm reasonably sure I won't love. Either way, there is no disappointment.

I am so glad to be done this series! I picked up all the volumes of it second-hand before I knew how irritating I found the author’s tone in these books. For whatever reason, I've been too stubborn to just cut my losses and turn them in at the used bookstore. First, I am allergic to puns, one of the mainstays of these characters. Second, although I have read some Robert Heinlein books and enjoyed some of them, I'm not a rabid fan and Robinson is. Third, like Heinlein, Robinson is a libertarian, an outlook of which I am skeptical . We need more community (ironically like Jake's little village of friends) and less rugged individualism.

As Callahan's books go, this one was better for me than the others. The mountainous and dumb-as-a-stick mafioso, Tony Donuts, provides comic relief. Jake and his crew manage to run circles around the guy, right up until they don't. But you've gotta know that the commune in the Florida Keys is up to the challenge. If there is one aspect of these books that I agree with wholeheartedly, it's that friendships are vitally important to the human being and that found family can be just as important as blood relations.

Book Number 439 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.

Sunshine / Robin McKinley

 

4 out of 5 stars

I am a sucker for vampire stories. (Hahaha, see what I did there?) So I was almost guaranteed to like this novel. But I appreciated the differences between this book and some of the more usual vampire fantasies. Rae, aka Sunshine, finds herself in a very dangerous situation, early in the action. She is shackled in a deserted house with a vampire who is similarly imprisoned. It's pretty obvious that she is the live mouse put into the cage with a bird of prey.

Here's where Sunshine's urban fantasy heroine pedigree shines through. She spent most of her life denying to herself who her father was. But she fondly remembers his mother who taught her the first few tricks to do with her magical talents. All of a sudden, those hidden, mostly forgotten skills are going to come in handy. And she seems to have made a friend, as the captive vampire, Constantine, comes with her and they mutually stagger to safety.

Constantine is not the usual sensual, attractive vamp, all interested in human women. Indeed, he's very removed from humanity and actually rather reptilian, but seems to have some sense of honour or comradeship or something. Sunshine frequently wonders what she has gotten herself into. Her disappearance has brought her to the attention of the police of the supernatural and their questions make her feel guilty that she feels responsible and has friendly feelings for a vampire. She and Con seem to adhere to the old saw that when you save someone you are then responsible for them forever. Since they escaped as a team, they seem destined to remain a team. Their strange entanglement develops as the book progresses and as they decide to deal with the vamp who trapped them together in the first place.

McKinley's refusal to follow the well worn rut of most urban fantasy tales was both refreshing and sometimes annoying. I hadn't realized how programmed I have become to expect certain plot points, like for instance a human-style romance. I am also kind of impressed that she felt one book was enough. If you want to know where Sunny goes from there, you'll have to write fan fiction.

Book Number 438 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.

The Untold Story / Genevieve Cogman

 

4 out of 5 stars

Excellent! Irene returns to prominence within the Library, forced away from her diplomatic mission by mysterious rumblings within her home institution. Armed with knowledge of her true parentage, the Language, and a secret assignment from the elder Librarians, Irene sets out with Kai and Vale to deal with Alberich, enemy of the Library and Irene's natural father.

Some familiar stumbling blocks exist—Librarian Bradamant, Irene's nemesis, is determined to put an end to Irene's flight out of the library, considering her arrogant and acting on impulse. Apprentice Catharine wants conflicting things, both to spend time in the Library and to be included in Irene's mission. Alberich seems to want some kind of relationship with his daughter. Kai's older brother seems to be determined to have Kai's diplomatic position by hook or by crook.

As per usual, Irene must wiggle her way out of several tight places and think on her feet, desperately putting facts and hints together to come to the correct conclusion. The tension is good and Irene, Kai, and Vale feel more like a real team than they did in the previous book. Irene has learned to lean on other people, an extremely important skill for all of us.

This particular plotline gets more or less resolved, but from the afterword I gather that there will be new adventures for Irene and company. I hope this is the case, as I am still enamoured by Irene and Kai, not to mention the Invisible Library.

Three Act Tragedy / Agatha Christie

 

3 out of 5 stars

My regularly scheduled Appointment with Agatha novel. It is probably the one that I have enjoyed the least since I began this venture. I always look forward to my regular dose of Christie, but like the murder victims in this novel, I'm left with a bitter taste in my mouth.

My first objection: I think Jane Marple would have been much superior to Hercule Poirot in this story. She would have seen to the heart of the matter in a much quieter, safer way. She would have been sympathetic, but firm with Miss Egg Lytton Gore. No doubt she would remember some lovelorn young woman in a similar situation in Chipping Cleghorn. She could have gently inserted herself into the story, rather than bulldozing her way in as Poirot does (at least as Egg perceives it).

My second reservation: I feel that Violet Milray is treated quite ruthlessly by the author. We cannot all be beautiful and many a plain woman has had to develop skills, such as organisation and efficiency, to make their living. They are very aware of how others perceive them. They are not without emotions and often endure the unrequited loves of men who barely look twice at them. Worse, those same men turn around and say nasty things behind their backs, as Sir Charles does to Miss Milray. No wonder she was planning to leave his employ.

Unusually, I twigged to the murderer's identity much earlier than usual. Not unusually, there is the long explanation by M. Poirot, followed by the murderer's chance to choose how to respond, with a strong implication that suicide might be it. I can think of at least one more sensible way that the killer might have proceeded, not requiring the complicated plotting. But I am not the author and she structured things as she willed. All I can say is that I will be in no hurry to revisit this mystery.

The Wee Free Men / Terry Pratchett

 

I 

4 out of 5 stars

My one resolution for the New Year is to do more free range reading, grabbing whatever takes my fancy rather than be hemmed in by my own reading plans. So when a group of friends suggested a buddy read of this Pratchett book, I jumped at the chance. I often have trouble with written humour and felt that a supportive group might help. It turns out that I needn't have worried. I didn't need an interpreter.

I'm not too good at the buddy reading biz either, not being exactly sure what's expected of me. But I can enjoy a good book when I find it. Tiffany Aching is an excellent heroine, clear sighted, clear headed, and practical. She's right when she observes that if you really watch what's happening around you, you can learn an awful lot. Especially if you are quiet and don't draw attention to yourself. I do agree with one of my fellow readers that she seems much more mature than a nine year old, but I was willing to forgive that. Especially since Pratchett manages to stuff so much common-sense into a humorous book. As the old saying goes, many a true word is spoken in jest.

I'm always a bit leery of books that include a lot of dialog in dialect. But in this case, the Nac Mac Feegle just seem to be made for a strong Scots accent. They are adorably impetuous, living as they do for drinkin', fightin', and stealin'. Tiffany may not know exactly how to do what witches do, but she is in good company as she learns the ropes.

This is an inside out fairytale, where the delicate winged fairies are like biting insects and the helpful Fae are the tiny blue-tattooed, ill-behaved Nac Mac Feegle. Instead of a glass slipper, Tiffany has clodhopper boots. No evil step-sisters in sight, just one sticky younger brother. And, of course, Tiffany aspires to be a witch, not a princess. Instead of a fairy godmother, she gets Miss Tick, an itinerant teaching witch. Instead of being rescued by a handsome prince, she must rescue the Baron's none-too-bright son, Roland. Forget about being a seventh son, she is a twentieth grandchild of powerful hag, Granny Aching.

I am happy to be started on the Discworld saga. For years I've been seeing how much my friends have enjoyed it, but I tend to want to start with book one in a series and work my way through it methodically. I can now see where that is unnecessary with this series. I just couldn't find my way into the first volume, but with this one the door is wide open and welcoming. If you've been like me, on the outside looking in, consider a visit with Tiffany Aching and the Nac Mac Feegle.

A Three Book Problem / Vicki Delany

 

3.75 stars out of 5

I'm not sure why I enjoy these books as much as I do since I find the main character, Gemma Doyle, quite annoying. Obviously this is the way that Delany wants to portray her and Gemma's friends state on at least two occasions that “she's learning" to be more diplomatic.

I have to say that, although it's the Sherlock Holmes canon that gets referenced heavily in this series (for obvious reasons), this particular novel had overtones of Agatha Christie, specifically Murder on the Orient Express or maybe And Then There Were None. You could also liken it to Georgette Heyer's Christmas Party. The murdered man invited a house-full of people who had reason to resent him or fear him for a weekend of Sherlockian shenanigans. Gemma and her friend Jayne have been hired to provide entertainment and food, so are on hand for the murder and to observe the actions and reactions of these guests. Let's just say that they don't show themselves off to advantage.

Being unnaturally observant and also willing to be nosier and less polite than others, Gemma is in the perfect position to learn a lot. She dismays her boyfriend, the detective, by telling him several details that the guests haven't seen fit to disclose to him. By the end of this, the seventh book in the series, even Louise Estrada, the hostile detective, has had to admit that Gemma has talent. (She is an obvious Inspector Lestrade figure in these stories, reluctant to admit that observation and deduction can go as far as Gemma or Sherlock can take them).

I have no idea if Delany intends to continue this series, but it does seem to me like she wrapped things up neatly by book's end. I would be unsurprised if Gemma gets retired and Delany moves on to newer ideas and a different main character.

Wolves of the Calla / Stephen King

 

3 out of 5 stars

3 stars. I liked it. Mr. King certainly knows how to craft a story that makes me want to read to the end, despite the fact that I'm not sure why he wrote it. It is such an odd mishmash of details, many of which I feel he finally figured out how to tie together here in the fifth volume.

I'm also not a big fan of the horrible details, like Susannah/Mia feeding the “chap.” Although I wouldn't call this series horror, it has its gruesome details. I do admit that the references to Harry Potter did make me snigger a bit, though. My other complaint is the length of these books. Surely they could be pared down? However, I know that many people revel in the long reading experience and wallow in all the details, so my view is just my own.

I have two books remaining to read and I hope to get to them in the months to come. I'm stubborn enough that I want to know what happens, what else King has up his sleeve. I recognize his skill, I just wish he wrote about things that I care about more. I kind of wish I was a fan girl—the fans seem to enjoy themselves so much!

Book Number 437 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project. 

Murder with Puffins / Donna Andrews

 

3.75 stars out of 5

The second book in this long running series and, in my opinion, very much a second book. I really enjoyed the first one, but in this installment, I could really tell that Andrews was really looking for her shtick, the way forward. The whole puffin theme was a bit over done, what with each chapter title including puffins in some way, plus the general obsession with them in artwork and stuffed animals and other tourist tempting items. She hadn't yet found her trademark book titles substituting a bird species into a well known saying.

I wonder if she ever regretted solidifying Meg and Michael’s relationship at the end of book one? Obviously it hasn't done her any harm, as there are 30 books so far in the series. But losing that plot tension of a pending romance is hard to compensate for. Mind you, she puts an impediment in their plans by producing a whole platoon of Meg's family who have previously arrived at the rustic cabin where Meg and Michael were hoping to find some privacy.

I realized pretty quickly that this novel was yet another homage to Murder on the Orient Express, and it reminded me quite a lot of two other books that I've read recently, Mayhem at the Orient Express and The Readaholics and the Poirot Puzzle. If you enjoyed this book, I recommend those two as well.

I was amused to find herds of birders in this book, out to enjoy the fall migration on an island off the coast of Maine. Andrews portrayed their behaviour quite accurately—a tendency toward dull clothing with numerous pockets, lots of waterproof gear, and enough lenses of various kinds to amaze non-birders. She only slipped up once, when a supposed birder talked about “seagulls.” There's no such thing, as any birder will tell you—they are gulls, no adjective required. Not my favourite bird family, as the juveniles are difficult to identify to species level and nothing bores me more than a flock of gull guys talking about two-year versus three-year gulls.

So, not quite up to the standard set by book one, but still very enjoyable. I will definitely be reading book three as soon as I can wiggle it into my reading plans.

Crossroads of Twilight / Robert Jordan

 

3.2 stars out of 5

I am ten books into this series and alternate between wondering if I can go on and wondering what happens. It doesn't help that each volume is a doorstop and that starting each one is like a quiz: do I remember this character and their backstory? Okay, how about this one? It comes back, if not completely, then at least sufficiently to understand the next events.

I want to know how things shake out, but Jordan goes so slowly! There are so many characters (with names odd enough that I would hate to be reading for the audio version) and so many storylines. With this many things to juggle, I guess it's not strange that some of the more prominent characters didn't make an appearance, despite the enormous number of pages. Notably, we get very little time with the Forsaken, aka the bad guys. Nor do we spend much time with the men of the Black Tower (men who can wield the One Power). Nynaeve is seen only from a distance in one scene (which, thank goodness, means that I didn't have to endure her frequent yanking on her own hair to try to control her temper).

There is very little action in this installment. It is largely politicking, both personal and societal. Perrin doesn't seem to be much closer to rescuing his wife, Faile. Mat may have found the woman who will reform his gambling ways, but it looks like a most unlikely match. Rand seems to be hanging onto his sanity better than before, but still has many hurdles ahead. Egewene seems to be settling into her role as leader of the Aes Sedai outside the White Tower.

The relations between men and women continue to annoy the hell out of me. It's called the One Power for a reason folks—women and men are supposed to use it co-operatively to accomplish things! And I have to mention the plotting and backstabbing amongst the Aes Sedai. They are supposed to be wise and self controlled women, with years of training, yet most of them seem to be acting like seventh grade drama queens here. It made me want to shake them!

At least events seem to finally be starting to converge. There are still four books to go, but all the various threads really are starting to show a pattern. Truly, the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills…

Book Number 436 of my Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Project.

Fan Fiction / Brent Spiner

 

3 stars out of 5

Well, that was not exactly what I was expecting. I like memoirs. I like mysteries. Why not a combination of the two? I am a fan of Star Trek TNG and I heard Spiner interviewed a couple of times when this book was released. His chats with interviewers made it sound intriguing. I bit and put a hold on the book at the library.

Now I have issues with written humour. Sometimes I get it. This time I struggled with it. Plus I found it impossible to parse which parts were fact and which were fiction. Did Brent Spiner really have a stalker? Maybe, but I'm not sure. Spiner said in his interviews that he didn't care for traditional memoirs, but I actually do enjoy them. I would have been far more interested in a factual account by a guy who obviously has a lively intellect. 

I had no idea that Spiner was also a comedian and singer, as well as an actor. However, I would never have known that from the text of this book either. It was in the note about the author. My disappointment lies in the fact that I really didn't learn very much about the man. The grand total of my new knowledge? He's Jewish, he had an abusive stepfather, he spent a long time as a working actor before Star Trek came along, he had to be convinced to attend a StarTrek convention, and his makeup for that role was truly awful. That could have been a pamphlet, rather than 256 pages.

Still, the author had obviously enjoyed noir detective fiction, with its distraught dames, shady characters, violent threats, and murky motives. He had a good time playing with those tropes, but he's no Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett. 

The Readaholics and the Poirot Puzzle / Laura DiSilverio

 

4 out of 5 stars

Another cosy mystery referencing Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. I enjoyed this one a lot, just as much as Mayhem at the Orient Express, which I read last month. Just a warning: if you haven't read the original Christie and you don't want to have the solution spoiled, read it before this book. DiSilverio assumes your knowledge of Poirot's adventure to inform this mystery.

I picked the first novel in this series last May because it was related to The Maltese Falcon, which I had recently read. The book club selection featured in the third novel is Du Maurier's Rebecca. I don't think I want to read that book again, but maybe I'll try another of her novels before I tackle it. But I will certainly read the third novel.

I'm somewhat disappointed that there are only three books in the series, but since the story is almost equally about Amy-Faye's romantic life, the scope is limited. She seems to be well on her way by the end of this adventure, so one assumes that things will resolve in the third novel. Like a fairy tale, things end “happily ever after,” as if nothing more of any consequence can happen to a woman once she achieves a relationship! Despite that, I like DiSilverio's writing. My library has a number of her other books which I will definitely put on my possible list.

If you like this series, may I suggest that you try Southern Spirits by Angie Fox, A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley, or Mayhem at the Orient Express by Kylie Logan. And of course you must read Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express.

What Abigail Did That Summer / Ben Aaronovitch

 

4 out of 5 stars

I adore Abigail. Love Peter too, but he wasn't around for this little tea party, was he? This is a decent sized novella and I'm glad that my library purchased it, as the price here in Canada is bloody exorbitant!

Ghost hunter, fox whisperer, troublemaker. This is not a young woman who is going to sit back and let the world run over her. I admire her intelligence and bravery, getting her friends and herself out of a dodgy situation. (Mind you, she got them into it as well).

If that wasn't enough, there's the talking foxes. Conducting surveillance no less and hoovering up cheese puffs, as any self respecting investigator would do, given the chance. I especially enjoyed Abigail's meeting with Control, the fox mastermind. Shades of John Le Carre, there. And the foxy story about how they lost the ability to speak (although they are unwilling to share how they regained it).

I do hope there will be more Abigail adventures (and judging from the ending, there will be).

2021 in Review

 For me, 2021 was generally better than 2020, but I am still finding myself to be a more moody reader. I have given myself more latitude to let go of books which don't really grab me. I try to be fair by reading a certain number of pages, but I don't force myself to keep going anymore. I've returned a number of unread library books, my own catch-and-release program.

My statistics say that I read 226 books in 2021, but I know that I reread a number that I didn't bother to record. This is the lowest number of books in several years. Despite this, I have still read an incredible amount and discovered so many books that delight and entertain. It's difficult to boil down the year to the best choices, but here are my favourite books of 2021.

My Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project: I used a month-by-month reading list this year to keep me on track with this project this year and came the closest yet to meeting my reading goal, finishing 45 titles. Several books got shunted to next year simply because it seemed that I hit what for me was a decline in the delight of the choices. If I can't face them next year either, they will be purged from my list.

My Favourite Reading Project Titles: A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin and Lord of Emperors by Guy Gavriel Kay. Both are fantasy novels, unsurprising to me. Fantasy is truly my genre of choice. I find both worlds to be engrossing and enveloping. They leave me with a book hangover, needing a bit of processing time before I move on.

New Comfort Reading Series: Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries are now among my go-to books when I'm needing inspiration or a sure thing in my reading. It's a dangerous thing to pick up All Systems Red, because I know I'll be binge reading all six books. Thankfully five of them are very short, revving up my reading without distracting me from new material for long.

Favourite Canadian Novel: Sufferance: A Novel by Thomas King. Reminiscent of his earlier The Back of the Turtle (which I also loved) and also of his Thumps DreadfulWater Mysteries (which I highly recommend). Pointed social commentary concealed in a hilarious story set-up. I would also give his novel Indians on Vacation as a runner-up. Not without humour, but more serious in nature.

Favourite Classic Novel: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Need I detail my delight? (This may be heresy, but I think I like this better than Pride and Prejudice).

Most Charming New Discovery: I loved Richard Osman's books, The Thursday Murder Club and The Man Who Died Twice. Talk about great roles for older people! Add in some interesting mystery elements, and I was in hog heaven.

Best Adventure of a Woman of a Certain Age: Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson caught me by surprise. I expected to like it, I didn't know that I was going to love it. I don't know why novels of this vintage (1930s) charm me, but I do enjoy them enormously.

Best Nonfiction: Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach. This woman consistently writes books that entertain, amuse, and inform me. Her sense of humour is compatible with mine and, yes, there is frequently talk about poop, but I'm okay with that. If you deal with livestock, you know what an important function that is.

My Shakespeare Project is currently on hold. My local theatre company is severely limited by covid restrictions and the cinema is not currently offering any Shakespearean films. There's an operatic version of Hamlet, but that doesn't really appeal right now.

Agatha Christie Reading Group: I am going into my second year of reading one of Christie's novels per month with a group of fans of her writing. We started in October 2020 and are reading them in publication order. It's fascinating to watch her writing and her characters develop. This is one reading task that I look forward to each month.

Other Random Books I Enjoyed This Year: Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots; Plan B and I Dare, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller; The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu; Slough House by Mick Herron.

I wish you all happy reading in 2022! May the Goddess of Reading grant you concentration, patience, and, most of all, joy in your book selections.

The Ghost Fields / Elly Griffiths

 

4 out of 5 stars

I do love to start the New Year with a murder mystery, especially one in a favourite series. Ruth Galloway never disappoints. Or is that Elly Griffiths?

Time has passed since the last book. Katie is five and starting preschool. Ruth has told her it's okay to call Nelson Daddy. Nelson’s wife, Michelle, has apparently decided that what's sauce for the gander is sauce for the goose and she's flirting hard with a younger guy. Judy is heavily pregnant with Cathbad's child. Cathbad is still in the Druid business, but he seems like a pretty good dad and uncle despite that, although he seems to slipping in the prophecy department. Clough is just Clough, eating pies, drinking beer, and playing football. Frank, the American TV presenter is back, wanting to return to Ruth's good graces. She likes him, but how much? Does she want a permanent relationship?

Ruth gets the call when a WWII plane is found with a pilot in the cockpit. But the pilot is known to have bailed before the crash and this body shows signs of being buried elsewhere and posed dramatically just to be discovered. Who is he, why does he have a bullet hole in his forehead, and who is running around creating tableaux with corpses? Can Ruth figure any of this out?

Between a convoluted personal life and a twisty case of maybe-murder, there's a lot of ground to cover. I find these books to be compulsively readable. My only regret is that I will now have to control myself for a while instead of immediately grabbing book eight. I truly do want this series to last!

Postmortem / Patricia Cornwell

 

3.25 stars out of 5

OMG, how long ago did I first read this book? It must be well over 20 years ago, at least. At the time, I found it riveting. I'm less impressed this time around. I think it must have been one of the earliest forensic-based crime novels? Although detectives like Sherlock Holmes were depicted making deductions based on evidence at the crime scene, Cornwell took things a step further by making the medical examiner's office the focus of her fiction.

Kay Scarpetta is an easy main character to identify with. She's a woman in a largely male realm and there is plenty of hostility to deal with. Pete Marino is a jerk, making the reader like Scarpetta more. Never mind that he proves to be damn good at his job. Kay doesn't question herself very much, a pleasant change. Women tend to suffer from imposter syndrome, something that only plagues Kay when she's dealing with her niece, Lucy. Not that I think there is any good way to interact with Lucy as she is depicted. Cornwell makes her wildly precocious, at ten years of age already uber knowledgeable about computers and interested in guns.

Actually, I think it is the state of DNA research and the details of computer technology that make this book feel like a rusty old antique. Written when DNA was an unproven commodity, it was cutting edge. I remember being impressed by its inclusion during my first long ago reading. Now of course we expect DNA to solve investigations as a regular thing. I couldn't help but notice the other changes in tech, too. The computer diskettes, the programming commands, the answering machines, the absence of mobile phones. No one now would be able to avoid their boss's phone calls the way Kay does—the phone in the pocket can't be avoided. What doesn't change is the kids knowing more than the adults about computers!

It was interesting, knowing what future books would bring, to see Cornwell setting up the pattern that would dominate this series. The relationships between Kay, Lucy, Pete, and Benton are all there, starting to unfurl.

Stranger from the Tonto / Zane Grey

 

3 out of 5 stars

This is what happens when you're visiting for Christmas, run out of reading material, and have to cadge a book from your brother in law. I've been reading Zane Grey since I was a teen, but I don't think I'd ever read this book before. But it follows Grey's pattern, so there were no surprises.

Grey sure liked “pure" young women, living in threatening situations where their purity is desired by outlaws. His heroines are usually blonde and small, but good, brave riders. Lucy Bonesteel is just such a woman, just out of childhood and innocent about life in the real world. She's been raised in isolation in the backcountry of Utah, unaware of her father's reputation as an outlaw or his alternate identity as a rancher with a new wife and family. She hasn't had much female companionship and is sexually unaware as a result. (There’s no mention of her having a period, how she would deal with that, or how it was explained to her, important details in any young woman's life).

Kent Wingfield is also a typical Grey hero. He's young, handsome, good with a gun, and an excellent horseman. He loves the wild country and is honorable. He has fallen in love with Lucy's story before he has even met the girl. His courtship of Lucy is that of an honorable man--he's willing to kiss her, but marriage is uppermost on his mind.

As usual, Grey spends loving time on describing the scenery, reveling in the details of the desert and the canyons. He seems to have loved horses and dogs, natural companions for a hunter of his era. He did do some hunting, though his true love seems to have been fishing or maybe baseball. He writes of the trail so vividly that I keep thinking that his personal history should contain more horses!