Runaway Vampire / Lynsay Sands

 

3.5 stars

It's not ideal to start a series with number 23. There are a few things that are a little puzzling, although the author did a good job of seeding that information into the dialogue, both between the characters and in Mary and Dante's inner monologues.

The humour in the book derives from the flipping of some romance tropes, the exaggeration of others, and the sheer nuttiness of the plot. Obviously, paranormal romances do not regularly star older, retired women, especially matched with a man who appears to be much younger. Despite Dante's assurances that he is actually older than Mary, she realizes how the people in her life will perceive their relationship. Then there is the unusual situation of Dante appearing in her life stark naked and seemingly not caring about it. He’s like an alien, unaware of normal human mores. Mary's struggle to get him appropriately covered, so as to attract less attention, is also funny.

One of the least believable parts of the book is Dante's wild kidnapping story that precipitated his collision with Mary's RV. But I can identify with Mary's feelings of guilt for having hit him and responsibility for his continued well being. She doesn't easily buy into his story, but is gradually worn down by things that happen along the way. But her initial impressions are quite realistic: “Mary tore her gaze from him and back to the road ahead, her mind filled with disbelief. After a moment, she heaved a sad sigh and shook her head. Of course she'd run over the crazy guy. Gorgeous, but completely bonkers was her diagnosis. Such a shame.”

Dante keeps throwing new ideas at Mary so fast and furiously that she can't regain her equilibrium. She gets swept along on his crazy train and she finds herself doing things she would never normally do: flee from kidnappers, evade pursuit, invent lies to tell her friends, and cope with this guy who is young in appearance, who claims to be immortal, says that she is his lifemate and is making sizzling sexual advances whenever things slow down enough that she could otherwise think more rationally. Mary has been a successful psychologist and labels all the “lifemate" talk as complete bullshit, so why is a sensible older lady responding so strongly to this strange, impulsive man?

Apparently I require a bunch of paranormal details to make romance novels more palatable. And although I frequently struggle with written humour, this author's wit is fun for me. I do have reservations about the author's move to rejuvenate Mary, restoring her to youth physically. It's so rare and wonderful to find a main character of my own age with a romance structured around her. At least she got to keep her hard earned experience and education.

The Bullet That Missed / Richard Osman

 

4+ stars out of 5

“It's the people, in the end, isn't it?” says Viktor. “It's always the people. You can move halfway around the world to find your perfect life, move to Australia if you like, but it always comes down to the people you meet.”

It is certainly the people in the Thursday Murder Club. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim have unofficially expanded the club, accumulating quite the circle of crime fighters. Is it my imagination, or are our beloved club members slowing down just a bit? When even Elizabeth questions her fitness for duty, that's not good. Being reunited with her old frenemy Viktor, however, has been a tonic for her. Ron seems to have found a match and Joyce has her eye on someone again. Ibrahim may find himself the odd man out in the next book.

Elizabeth is receiving anonymous threats when the Club digs in to a local murder case. She realizes that she's been missing the adrenaline and the opportunity to exercise her wits. Always the instigator, she determines what seems to be the best course of action. Then they are off! No more details—you must discover them for yourself.

If you, like me, enjoy our visits with the Thursday Murder Club, you will also be delighted that Osman promises in the acknowledgements that there will be another book next year. Mr. Osman, I shall await it with pleasure. (My auto-fill wanted to say that I would await it with mango chutney, which may also be true.)

The October Man / Ben Aaronovitch

 

4 out of 5 stars

Do you ever wonder if there are still German practitioners of magic and, if so, what they are up to? Well, wonder no longer. Meet Tobias Winter, apprentice, and follow along as he pursues a case. Of course his assigned local officer is Vanessa Sommer. Winter and Sommer, which makes the local river goddess snicker.

Tobias is not nearly as chaotic as Peter was in the beginning. He proceeds with caution, tries to be very polite (but firm) with the special folk that he encounters, and keeps his partner in the loop. He certainly knows about Peter and his reputation, especially for Peter's enthusiasm for trying to scientifically measure magical phenomena.

I would definitely be willing to read more about Tobias and I suspect that further adventures of Vanessa are probable too. And wouldn't it be fun if they could meet up with Peter and Nightingale someday?

Deader Homes and Gardens / Angie Fox

 

3.7 out of 5 stars

The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries are just the ticket for those of us who are ambivalent about ghost stories in general. Angie Fox, bless her heart, writes in her author info that she is “scared of basements, bees, and going up stairs when it is dark behind her. Let's face it, Angie wouldn't last five minutes in one of her books.” I'm okay with the supernatural written by someone as nervous as I am about such things.

Verity Long is a spunky young woman who has become attuned to the spirit world when she accidentally tied the ghost of a gangster to her flower bed when she emptied his ashes there. Frankie can lend her some of his ability to see into the ghostly realm and, despite his criminal past, is a fairly comforting spectre. (He actually seems not to have been the sharpest tool in the shed in life, which is how he ended up with a bullet hole in his forehead.)

It's book four in the series and Verity and her love interest Ellis seem to be comfortable going somewhat public. This despite the fact that his brother is Verity's ex-fiancé, who cheated on her right before their wedding. When the outraged bride called off the nuptials, her almost-mother-in-law saddled Verity with all the wedding bills. So hooking up with Ellis is maybe not sensible, but he is very different from his brother. The other thing Verity has gone public with is her ability to see ghosts. She's broke after paying off the non-wedding and has started a ghost hunting business. This book is her first official case and Frankie, who has previously been helpful, is getting restive.

I've been buying these books as Fox is self-publishing them and my local library is exceedingly reluctant to buy self-published books (and rightly so, IMO). Fox is a decent writer and Verity has a lot going for her. She has interesting talents and bravery. The solutions are a bit on the simple side, but Fox takes intriguing routes to get to them. This one ends maybe not exactly with a cliffhanger but definitely with a sharp hook. Maybe I'll abandon the series now, but I think I may be on the hook for book five.

The Uncommon Reader / Alan Bennett

 

4 out of 5 stars

The death of Her Majesty Elizabeth II in September inspired me to pick up this slim novella which features her as the main character. Back in March, I read the charming mystery The Windsor Knot, which likewise stars Her Maj. There is a definite difference in style, unsurprisingly.

Alan Bennett writes older women really well. (See The Lady in the Van, Smut) No doubt spending time with his mother in her last years contributed to his understanding. If I had never read S.J. Bennett, I would have been delighted with this book. It does deal with my own obsession, reading, with great insight. Reading is certainly a consuming pastime, very enjoyable but also informative. I realized how much more than the usual person I read when talking to one of my sister's friends, who finally looked at me with cocked head and said, “You read a lot, don't you?” Apparently enough to make me a bit weird to the average person, anyway.

S.J. Bennett’s depiction of the Queen is much more sympathetic and human than Alan's. Her version of the monarch gives her much more curiosity, intellect, and ability. She portrays the Queen as widely experienced and often underestimated by the men on her staff. This Queen is well informed and would never turn down a good book.

Both books are fun and worth reading, in my opinion. But I like the mystery-solving Queen best.

Love is a Rogue / Lenora Bell

 

2 out of 5 stars

I haven't read a romance novel for years, probably decades. I have a taste for paranormal romance or mystery stories that include romance, which I find much more interesting. There’s more going on than just the couple mooning around about each other. There's a mystery to solve, maybe a terrorist plot to deal with (Miles Vorkosigan in Komarr), ancient relics that must be preserved (Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews), vampires to be dealt with (Sookie Stackhouse), or werewolves to sort out (Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson). The bonus to paranormal romances is that there's no requirement or expectation that they will be historically accurate.

This book was cute, but it was less real to me than the fantasy fiction referenced above. It's a 21st century woman's day dream of a historical romance that she uses to fall asleep at night—she doesn't care if the ideas are a bit too modern or the dialogue is sometimes too reminiscent of internet-speak. She's merely entertaining herself as her brain slows down towards unconsciousness. Readers who insist on historical accuracy will be horrified.

If you can let go of those ideals, it is what is advertised on the tin: an independent young woman is striving to work on an etymological dictionary and retain her freedom. A handsome carpenter is scrambling her thoughts merely by existing and when his attention turns to her, she is short-circuited. It is unmitigated fluff.

That will do me for several more decades, I think. The premise of the series (a society of Wallflowers who are striving to expand women's opportunities) is great, but the story lacks substance. While Beatrice is busily trying to prove that marriage shouldn't be the only avenue for a woman's life, the story herds her into matrimony. Not that women who want love and/or marriage shouldn't pursue them, but there should be more to the tale. There should just bloody well be MORE.

The Zig Zag Girl / Elly Griffiths

 

3.5 stars? Maybe a little more?

I am a fan of Elly Griffiths’ Ruth Galloway series and wanted to try out some of her other writings. I tried to come to this book with no preconceived ideas, but I ❤ Ruth so strongly that it's difficult not to compare Edgar to her in a less than favourable way. I don't identify with him like I do with Ruth.

I understand the author's need to branch out, however. It must get tiresome writing about the same characters all the time, even if one of them is Cathbad the druid. I'm hoping that Edgar will grow on me. At about the 75% point, I thought I had it all figured out. I was half right—I had the murderer, but I had the wrong idea about other significant points. No details or I'd be spoiling things.

It was interesting to read the personal history in the acknowledgements, to find out that Griffiths grew up in Brighton and that her grandfather was a music hall comedian (presumably better than poor old Tony here). So, although I don't love this series with the same devotion as Ruth Galloway, I think I will probably give Smoke and Mirrors a try. But I hope to squeeze in The Woman in Blue before it.

Better Homes and Hauntings / Molly Harper

 

3.25 out of 5 stars

Halloween Bingo 2022

I waited a (subjectively) long time for this book, the previous borrower hanging onto it well after the due date. I was really looking forward to it, because I have really enjoyed Molly Harper's writing before. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but I found myself disappointed with this book.

Harper's trademark humour was much reduced. This was a much more serious ghost story than I anticipated. Had I known, I would have waited for daylight to crack it open. Because, as I have stated before, I am easily spooked by supernatural tales and can't read the truly scary ones in the dark. Ghost stories can be particularly fear inducing, as apparently my subconscious is a believer. Once I got started, I needed to know the ending if I was going to be able to sleep. It was a late, late night. (For you committed horror readers, I know I am a coward. I'm okay with that.)

One aspect of the book bothered me: point-of-view changed regularly. There's a Scooby Do team of five characters and they all get their turn at POV. I always knew whose head I was in, but I found the switching unsettling. I guess I'm used to a single narrator, especially in books with a romantic element. Nina was a decent main character and I would have happily remained with her view point.

I found the ghosts to be far too corporeal for my tastes and the apparent possession disturbing. Give me ambiguous hauntings, please, not ghosts waiting for me in bed. How will I ever sleep again if that's a possibility? How will I ever be able to turn my back on the bed or click off the light? Harper did keep the ghostly identity uncertain until the very end, very well done.

I did love the developing friendship between the three women. Cindy and Dottie are good support for Nina, as she rebuilds her confidence. Cindy has her professional reasons for choosing this unusual work arrangement and also gets a romantic plot line. Both Nina and Cindy are like me: publicly saying they don't believe in ghosts but privately being scared out of their wits. Dottie is a true believer, frustrated because the phantoms don't manifest to her.

So, not quite the humorous romp that I had hoped for from Harper. Still, I read it in one night and although a bit jittery when I went to bed, I am recovered this morning. With this book for the Ghosts and Hauntings square, I have completed my Halloween Bingo reading for this year. It's been a good game!

Killers of a Certain Age / Deanna Raybourn

 

4.35 out of 5 stars

Halloween Bingo 2022

Chipper and happily amoral, this was fun! Perhaps because the women in the starring roles are my age, maybe because I am charmed by stories of strong female friendship, but definitely because these women are competent, professional, and effective. They accept the choices and the lives they've made for themselves.

I get a kick out of Raybourn's sense of humour and this book is no exception. Billie is our narrator and she has just the right amount of snark to endear her to me. Billie has stayed unattached, unlike her sister assassins. Helen is newly widowed, Mary Alice has a wife, and Natalie has made sex her primary hobby. We get to learn about their misspent youth through flashbacks that help us understand each woman just a little better, without it overwhelming the action-packed plot. Raybourn doesn't overdue it with context.

They are used to being underestimated by their male colleagues and bosses, to the casual sexism, and the general sleaze they have to put up with. Billie gives us her unvarnished thoughts on all these subjects and more. Any woman in our age bracket will recognize a lot of overlap, despite having different work lives. No wonder one of Raybourn's dedications is to “Every person who identifies female and has rage.”

Another one of my birthday books and definitely a permanent part of my collection, as well as being admirably suited to the Spies and Assassins square of my Halloween Bingo card.

Dead Witch Walking / Kim Harrison

 

3.75 out of 5 stars

Halloween Bingo 2022

Urban fantasy is my jam, so I anticipated enjoying this book and I did have fun with it, although maybe not quite as much as I hoped. I have tried to avoid reading other people's opinions of this series (not entirely successfully), to be able to form my own impressions. I found it to be a good introduction to The Hollows, with plenty of room to improve.

As is usual in urban fantasy, our heroine, Rachel Morgan, has a tendency to get herself into trouble through impulsive actions, a disregard for authority, and a smart mouth. When she originally quits her job, she is relieved when her boss clearly wants to be rid of her. Everything changes when his best Runner, Ivy the vampire, also quits, buying out her own contract in order to go into business with Rachel. Rachel becomes persona non grata, with a target on her back.

I can see where the Rachel-Ivy dynamic could get quite tedious, so I hope Harrison gets a bit more explainy in book two. She obviously has a different conception of vampire nature than I do and I'm as confused as Rachel is about Ivy's behaviour. In the meanwhile, Rachel is assembling her coterie of crime fighting chums: Ivy, Jenks the Pixie and his family, and the mysterious (human?) Nick. Plus sometimes the neighbour Keasley. Their home (an old church) and garden (a paradise for the pixies) is a great base of operations.

Rachel is a skilled witch, making this book perfect for the Spellbound square of my Bingo card, as well as being Book number 475 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.

Amongst Our Weapons / Ben Aaronovitch

 

4 out of 5 stars

Halloween Bingo 2022

I love the London of Peter Grant and Thomas Nightingale. Yes, this is book nine and Aaronovitch trots out many of the characters that we have come to know and love. Peter's dad gets to play his trumpet, his mom gets to cook her blazing hot food for the house full of birthing guests. Foxes frolick through all of it. Zack gets invited to the “christening.” Guleed, Stephanopoulos, and Seawoll are all present and accounted for. Even Lesley shows up, but despite her mission, she shows she still has some fondness for her old friend Peter.

Some folks complain that “nothing much happens.” I guess dealing with an Angel of Death is nothing much? Making contacts to expand the Folly's sphere of influence is not important? (At one point, Beverley accuses Peter of being a compulsive networker). Expanding the family is always significant. But really, I just enjoy hanging out in magical London. Peter and companyl don't have to do much to entertain me.

I always appreciate Aaronovitch’s pop culture references and his amusing phrasing and word play. I learn a new British slang word or two with each installment. This was one of my selected birthday books and it was a good choice. Plus, it delightfully filled the Darkest London square of my Bingo card.

Pretender / C.J. Cherryh

 

4 out of 5 stars

Halloween Bingo 2022

This novel picks up right where the last one left off and the reader is plunged into the action immediately. Once again, Bren Cameron is in the company of the Dowager and Cajieri, the heir, newly returned from space and running from hostile forces. They have sought refuge with Lord Tatiseigi, who isn't quite sure how he feels about their presence, at least until some of his neighbours attack his stately home to harm his guests. Incensed, he helps with a plan to get the Dowager, Tabini, Damiri, and Cajieri back to the capital, where Tabini should be able to deal with the pretender to the throne.

Usually, Bren finds himself mounted on a massive mecheita, hoping to goodness he doesn't fall off, riding out of a bad situation. This time, he is on a massive bus, driving cross country from Tatiseigi's estate to the capitol, with Tabini's heir under his care. Being human, he has become emotionally attached to his security staff, who are ruthlessly clearing the way for those they are bound to protect. This is when Bren has the revelation that the Assassins' Guild is more complex than he realized and he is unnerved by his own lack of understanding.

A lot of ammunition is fired, many things explode, and snipers are a constant worry. Cajieri is determined to be in the middle of things and is desperate to get to fire a gun. In some ways, he is a typical eight year old, but Bren seems to be able to get him to simmer down and to think strategically about their circumstances. Cajieri has made it clear that Bren is an important person in his circle and Bren worries that conservative atevi will disapprove of his human influence on the young gentleman.

This book was perfect for the Lost in Space Bingo square, as the humans in this series are completely cut off from humanity and are learning to coexist with the atevi on the atevi home world. I was able to double-dip, as it is also Book number 474 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.

Murder is Easy / Agatha Christie

 

3.5 out of 5 stars

Halloween Bingo 2022

As per usual, I was facing the wrong direction when looking for the murderer. Christie was very good at her craft, fooling me more often than not. Luke Fitzwilliam led me astray, just as Arthur Hastings usually does. He should have asked more questions of Miss Pinkerton when he made her acquaintance on the train, but hindsight is twenty-twenty.

I failed to see why Bridget appealed to Luke. I never did warm to her and I never cease to be amazed at how quickly couples make life changing decisions in Christie's fiction. They really barely know each other, that point where it's so easy to overlook major shortcomings in a potential partner. A much more trusting time? Perhaps.

I think Christie was also having fun with the idea of a small village being inundated with murders. So many of her novels are set in small communities that they must have started to seem much more dangerous than generally thought. Mind you, even today people move to small towns expecting a safer environment, only to find that human nature is still present and bad things can still happen.

I was able to double-dip with this book, reading it for my Appointment with Agatha group and also to fulfill the Terror in a Small Town of my Bingo card.

The Legend of Sleepy Harlow / Kylie Logan

 

4 out of 5 stars

Halloween Bingo 2022

The perfect cozy mystery for Halloween! The Literary Ladies carve pumpkins, wear costumes, and support each other through a third murder investigation. I loved the creation of a headless ghost to echo their book club selection The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Kylie Logan writes a good mystery.

Only one thing really annoyed me: at the beginning of the book, Chandra's cat, Jerry Garcia, pees on a manuscript that Bea is proofreading for Marianne. Now, you'd think that an animal the size of a horse or a cow had let loose on this pile of paper. Cats are small, relatively speaking. Annoyed googling resulted with the estimation of a cat's bladder capacity at 3 to 5 tablespoons. Yes, it would be stinky (I've gagged over a litterbox or two). But Logan has it pouring all over the manuscript, the porch chair, and Bea's shoes. Five tablespoons (let's give Jerry the maximum volume, yes?) is unlikely to do this much damage. Perhaps growing up on a farm has made me impervious to some grossness, but I would have poured off the pee and then hung the pages on a line to dry. The manuscript would not be completely ruined. And yes, I know why Logan wrote it that way—to give Bea a reason to investigate the history of the rumrunner, Sleepy Harlow. (And you can tell how much this bugged me by the length of this rant!)

Once things got rolling, I forgave the urinary exaggeration and just enjoyed how things rolled out. I was somewhat disheartened that these women, who are usually so tight, were divided in this outing. Kate seems to just collapse, Chandra acts extra weird, and Marianne needs emergency medical care on the mainland. Only Luella is steady as she goes and willing to help Bea. However, everyone is exonerated by the end (come on, this is a cozy, of course none of them have gone over to the dark side, this is NOT a spoiler.)

I'm happy to say I still have two books to go in this series. Next month for Appointment with Agatha, we are reading And Then There Were None, which I plan to follow with And Then There Were Nuns.

A Night in the Lonesome October / Roger Zelazny

 

4 out of 5 stars

Halloween Bingo 2022

Yet another book that I've been meaning to read for several years, and I particularly wanted to use it for Halloween Bingo. Other years I didn't get a hold put on it at the library in time—there is always a long line for it, as many people read it every year in October. I will happily return it tomorrow for the next reader.

I have previously read Zelazny's Amber series and Lord of Light, but they really did not prepare me for this All Hallows Eve extravaganza. Zelazny hits all the high spots: magic, witches, black sabbaths, vampires, werewolves, the slithery Elder Gods, Sherlock Holmes, and Jack the Ripper. I think this book may stand alone in making Jack into a good guy. I loved all the animal familiars that we meet through Snuff, Jack's dog. When the time is right, the moon is full on the night of October 31st, all the humans and their familiars meet at the mathematically calculated spot to do magical battle.

I have to say that I love the cover art. It looked familiar, though, so I did some googling of the artist, James Warhola. Just as I thought, he did cover art for some of Spider Robinson's Callahan's series. He uses the same structure, with the book's characters grouped in small groups, obviously visiting in one room. I find it very pleasing, if a bit busy. But unlike some artists, it seems that Mr. Warhola actually read the book and understood what he was illustrating.

I read this to claim the Genre: Supernatural square of my Bingo card. I would gladly read it again next year.

Gaudy Night / Dorothy L. Sayers

 

4 out of 5 stars

Halloween Bingo 2022

That was delightful, reminding me vividly of my own university experience. I would gladly have devoted myself to the life of the mind had I thought that I could have made a living out of it. I love research, I enjoy writing, I'm comfortable teaching. It could have been a good life. I was saved from it by my own ignorance of how to get my foot in the door. Now I know how many scholars are kept dangling around campuses by temporary contracts and vague promises, while earning barely enough to keep body and soul together. I'm not sure that I did tremendously better by choosing library work, but at least I had a union to make sure that I wasn't completely flattened by a parsimonious administration.

Harriet seems to be a stand in for the author in many ways. Sayers was a scholar as well as a novelist. I appreciate the breadth of her knowledge as I read the Peter Wimsey books. She can discourse intelligently on so many subjects. Like Harriet, Sayers didn't have the best luck in her choice of men—her first love, like Harriet's, scorned the institution of marriage, although he did marry another writer. [Bastard!] Her next relationship resulted in her pregnancy and it was revealed that her partner was already married. [Bastard!] However, she didn't give Harriet an illegitimate child to support and she did provide the devotion of Sir Peter.

Reading this has made me rather wistful for those student days, translating Greek texts, learning linguistics, analyzing poetry or Shakespeare, writing history papers. One of my instructors committed suicide halfway through term and we were supervised thereafter by a locally well known historian. He offered to edit one of my papers for publication, but it was so wrapped up in my mind with the deceased instructor that I couldn't face it. Probably one paper wouldn't have made any great difference in my life, but I do look back with regret at that lost chance at academic achievement.

The mystery in this novel keeps things ticking along, but it is mostly an argument in favour of the academic life and intellectual striving, plus a persuasive championing of women's right to be admitted to the fold. We take it for granted now—in fact, here in Canada, universities have more female students than male. But it is because of women like Dorothy Sayers that the door has been opened for us.

I chose to convert The River Styx Bingo square to Vintage Mystery by virtue of the Sleepy Hollow wild card in order to include this book in my Halloween reading.