How to Kill Men and Get Away With It / Katy Brent

 

4 out of 5 stars

***100 Days of Summer Reading 2023***

Prompt: Book categorized crime, either true crime or fiction.
Virtual 12 sided dice roll: 10

My Sister the Serial Killer meets Sex in the City.

Kitty Collins, vegan, Instagram influencer, heiress to a meat processing empire, woman filled with rage, and serial killer. She references Dexter as she creates a set of rules for herself after her first two accidental (?) murders. The most important? She only kills men who deserve to die. Then she goes out for drinks and vegan food with her besties.

Now don't freak out. It's fiction, not a how-to manual. Kitty has it entirely too easy with her lack of forensic evidence. Surveillance cameras malfunctioning handily. Lack of witnesses. Except for one—Kitty has a stalker who seems to know her every move.

No one flinches when women get murdered by men in fiction, but I have a hunch some people could get worked up about this book. Because the author has turned the tables on us and on society. It's not just women who have to watch their step in Kitty's London, men better be careful too. Not something that the patriarchy is used to and it may cause a bit of a snit.

But if you can let go of your pop culture education in forensics from TV and true crime books, you too can enjoy Kitty and her one-woman vengeance crusade.

Dead Man's Ransom / Ellis Peters

 

4 out of 5 stars

I love this series and I'm so impressed with Ellis Peters' excellent idea of making Brother Cadfael a Welshman housed in the English monastery at Shrewsbury. A man with a foot in both the Welsh and English worlds and the authority of the Church to aid him in his endeavors. She made these choices in the very first book and they continue to yield results.

Of course there are some repeated elements. One of the most common is the separation of a young couple by suspicion of wrong doing, something that features in this novel. Peters manages to complicate this plot however with two young couples who love against their parents' arrangements for them.

We also lose a well known character. Since it is stated in the description on the back cover, I feel it is no spoiler to say that Sheriff Prescote is captured, wounded, ransomed from his captors, and returned home, only to be murdered when he is unable to defend himself. Described as a just man, though sometimes harsh, he will be difficult to replace.

Bachelor Girl / Betsy Israel

 

4 out of 5 stars

One is a whole number.

No matter what society tries to tell you. And it is obvious from this book that women are ALWAYS told that they are nothing without a man. Apparently women who are free to do as they please are terrifying. Yet we have always existed, mostly happily, doing our own thing, whatever that might be.

One woman interviewed for this book described a ‘hailstorm' of pressure to produce children. Are men ever subjected to this pressure? It seems to me that men are allowed to exist in a permanent state of bachelorhood and no one questions whether they are lazy, crazy, or deficient. I agree with one woman quoted in the last chapters: “I'm not childless, I'm child free." Nor are we all destined to become cat ladies. No one questions if a “bachelor pad" is messy, but women are held to a different standard. Ask any woman—housework is boring, repetitive and thankless. People only notice if you don't do it. Yet we are supposed to be making it the centre of our lives?

It has always bothered me, as a single woman, that people freak out about Christmas. “OMG, you can't be alone at Christmas!“ To which I reply, if you don't care about me on my own on the other 364 days of the year, what makes Christmas different? To be absolutely honest, I prefer to be on my own, rather than negotiating the stress in other people's homes.

Like the author of this book, I wonder why no one believes single women when we say we are happy. We wouldn't say it if it wasn't true! I have to say, I was surprised to read that this defender of single womanhood was married with children. Despite having joined the “smug marrieds," she has written a spirited defense of the single female life. 

Throne of Jade / Naomi Novik

 

3.5 out of 5 stars

The premise for this series, an alternate history of the Napoleonic wars where both sides employ dragon riding troops, is a good one. Novik has thought through the implications well and provides sensible details with regard to dragons. She is obviously also using them to comment on how we treat those that we consider our inferiors. Dragons, despite their ability to talk and co-operate in battle are nevertheless treated more like horses than like people.

Laurence, who never imagined that he would partner a dragon, hasn't the same prejudices as the other airmen. Still, he is shocked when he is sent to China with Temeraire to see how respected dragons are in that kingdom. He has previously been forced to re-examine his views on the proper role of women, now keeping Temeraire is going to turn him into a social revolutionary when they return home, improving the lot of dragons there.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose! It seems that relations between China and the Western world will always be hampered by a lack of understanding on both sides. How one changes these attitudes is not clear, only that it will be difficult. When both sides are determined that they are ‘right' and refuse to compromise, coming to an agreement is next to impossible.

Although these books are easy to read, I struggled to stay focused on this one. Fantasy books are my preferred genre, but I must confess that I have wearied of the endless wars that I seem to encounter in their pages. I am particularly burnt out on characters in the militaries of these imaginary worlds. I am glad that I have a small reprieve before tackling the third book of this series.

Book 482 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

Five Little Pigs / Agatha Christie

 

4 out of 5 stars

I think there was a sixth pig (and not a little one, either), namely Amyas Crale. The man was certainly no treasure, being a drinker and a womanizer. Plus, he took his wife absolutely for granted! Some people just ask to be killed, don't they?

Agatha Christie knew a thing or two about unfaithful first husbands, who suddenly announce that they must be free to marry a younger woman. Mind you, if her biographer reports truly, she was also quite tolerant of her second husband's straying as long as he didn't rub her nose in it. She realized that she was significantly his senior and was lenient in order to preserve the marriage.

I found myself distracted by these thoughts rather than concentrating on the cold case details in this novel. As a result, I really had no notion of the true murderer here. But I was impressed that Christie wrote a cold case mystery before that was a thing. Plus she structured it around the childhood rhyme about five little piggies. It was a complex tale, but she added the extra layers to it.

I can see myself rereading this some time in the future (and likely being bamboozled all over again).

The Corpse with the Golden Nose / Cathy Ace

 

3

3 out of 5 stars

My library didn't have the first book of this series so I decided to plunge into book two. I needn't have worried, it was easy to get my bearings and know which end was up. I have previously read three books in Cathy Ace's WISE Enquiries Agency and I really enjoyed them. I expected to feel similarly about this book and was honestly surprised that it didn't please me nearly as much. Please don't think it's a bad book because it's not. Maybe I just wasn't in the best frame of mind to appreciate it.

Maybe because there were four women in the WISE series to alternate between, it felt like it moved a little faster. I also found myself wishing that Cait Morgan and her love interest Bud, the retired cop, were better communicators. Cait hugged her info tight, possibly because Bud was so sure they were confirming a suicide, not investigating a possible murder. Still, they seemed to talk past each other, the dialogue often feeling a bit stilted. Bud didn't talk like a cop and they didn't act like a mature dating couple.

I'll definitely finish the WISE series (I've only got one left) but I don't think I'll be following up with Cait. There's a lid for every pot but this lid just doesn't fit me.

Clean Sweep (Graphic Audio version) / Ilona Andrews

 

4 out of 5 stars

This is my first real foray into the audiobook world. I decided to choose a familiar comfort read so that I could get used to the medium and determine whether I could enjoy it. Now, I realize that this is a graphic audio version performed by a full cast which is different from having the book read by one narrator. I plan to try one of those eventually too.

One thing about listening to a book is that you learn the received pronunciation of character names! In my head Dina was ‘Dinah' rather than ‘Deena,' so I had to make that mental adjustment. To begin with, I was unsure about the voice of the actor chosen as Sean, but he grew on me as the book progressed. Arland's voice should have been deeper IMO and I was unsure why he and Caldenia received similar accents? Does everyone from off-planet speak in British accents? (No, I answer my own question, I don't think Lord Soren did?) This is one issue—I returned the book to the library shortly after finishing it and now I can't go back to check on these details. I'm not sure how to find specific scenes to check on my impressions. Obviously I have more work to do to become a proficient audiobook reviewer! I can already tell that I need to keep a pen and paper on hand to make notes as I go.

A drawback for me is that I can read the text much faster than the actors can perform it. But is that a drawback? I guess that depends on how pressed for time I am. Still, I enjoyed the experience and have already requested the second volume of the Innkeeper Chronicles from the library. They are very popular and the wait times can be quite significant, so I've got some digestion time before book two to plan my attack.

Partners in Crime / Agatha Christie

 

3 out of 5 stars

My excuse for signing this book out of the library was to participate in a buddy read with my Agatha Christie reading group. But I ended up with a number of books coming due one after another plus another that had to be finished before my book club meeting, and even some non-book events to attend to. I have not been a decent participatory buddy reader. However, I have been sandwiching Tommy & Tuppence short stories in around all these various requirements and have finished up the lot. Long before the end of the organized reading. Once again, off kilter with my timing.

It's my feeling that Christie was mistress of the novel, but not nearly so skillful at the short story. She was apparently playing with all the well known literary detectives, giving our intrepid duo the opportunity to mimic their methods in each story. I was conversant with Sherlock Holmes of course and was amused that Christie referenced her own creation, Hercule Poirot. The others weren't within my ken, so perhaps I couldn't appreciate them fully.

In truth, the set up for this series of stories is pretty thin—that two young people would be recruited to catch spies through a pretend private investigator firm. But if you are willing to just go with it, Tommy and Tuppence are fun. I wonder why Christie didn't unpack them and write a few more adventures for them than she did.

Snow / John Banville

 

3.5 ish stars?

Written in 2020, the motive for the murder that begins this novel is obvious. We've seen plenty of news stories about the crimes committed by the clergy against children. But in the late 1950s, especially in Ireland, where the Church ruled with a rod of iron, it was much more difficult to tackle the subject.

The main difficulty for the reader trying to solve the identity of the murderer is trying to choose from the crowd of people who have been hurt by Father Tom. Our lackluster detective, DI Strafford, takes his time circling the issue. He seems to be rather unsuited to solve a sexual crime, being rather sexless himself. I liked the ambiguous ending, not really knowing who was responsible for what (for I'm pretty sure it was a team effort).

Strafford watches, bemused, as all the players are assembled in the country house, Ballyglass House. He notes that everyone is playing a part and that no one is at all grief stricken, despite the fact that the priest boarded a horse there, rode regularly with the local hunt, and generally spent an awful lot of time in this Protestant household. Agatha Christie couldn't have chosen the setting or the cast any better, but Banville takes his own direction with them.

This is my mystery book club’s selection for May. I'll be very interested to hear what my fellow mystery lovers have to say about it. For once I may be able to keep my mouth shut!

A Murder of Crows / Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

 

4 out of 5 stars

This was a fun and engaging little mystery. Some of my enjoyment may have derived from the contrast with my previous read, which was long and tedious, but I have already placed a hold on the next in this series at the library. There were several factors that influenced me to choose this book: it is advertised as “perfect for those who loved Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club.” I'm uncertain what the connection between the two is, but I did really enjoy both of them. Secondly, the main character is an ecologist and there is a lot of natural history detail, which I always enjoy. And, of course, the title which featured crows attracted the birder in me.

I suppose one similarity to Osman might be the main character, Nell's, hidden depths, somewhat similar to the resourceful Elizabeth. They couldn't be more different though in age or intrepidness. Nell is a young woman who is trying to establish a professional reputation for herself. She is young enough that a handsome man is a distraction for her, even if he is the police officer who is charged with investigating her potential involvement in a murder case. Nell is a competent ecologist, but ends up falling back on family connections, unlike the independent Elizabeth.

If you are allergic to love triangles, you may develop a rash while reading this book, as Nell also has a flirtatious relationship with a coworker. Peeking ahead at the description of book two, it seems that will resolve soon, so I wouldn't necessarily worry too much about it, but perhaps it's better to be forewarned. A minor complaint is that the crows promised in the title don't appear in the novel.

So, I would recommend this cozy mystery on its own merit. Put The Thursday Murder Club out of your mind and enjoy A Murder of Crows for itself.

The System of the World / Neal Stephenson

 

2.2 out of 5 stars

My apologies to those who love this series. I'm sure you have valid reasons. I, on the other hand, barely managed to slog my way through the three massive tomes of the series. The final pages of this book were somewhat more interesting than the previous hundreds of pages, but I'm unsure what the point of the whole undertaking was.

If Neal Stephenson was to attend a meeting, I am certain that he would be one of those tedious speakers who would bury the listeners in fact after fact, and delay the meeting's end because he so loves the sound of his own voice. These books were like wading through molasses, slowed by interminable detail and description. His ideas, many of which were intriguing, were smothered under the weight of verbiage.

Far too much Daniel Waterhouse and far too little Eliza. Somewhat mitigated by the chapters featuring Jack Shaftoe. If not for my reading project, I certainly wouldn't have persevered with these volumes, but I have tried to read all the books on my list unless they downright offend me (or when confronted with one, I am so depressed that I consider giving up reading as an activity).

So, Hallelujah! I am finished and I have scratched the last Stephenson title from my list. He and I are not compatible. It's not you, Neal, it's me.

Book 481 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project

Terry Pratchett / Rob Wilkins

 

3.6 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed this biography in the spirit that it was offered. It is the record of a well known author as told by his personal assistant and friend. To his credit, it isn't completely glowing. He manages to show us an impatient man whose writing was fueled in large part by anger. Someone who was unintentionally cruel (or maybe it was intended?) But also a man who valued practical skills (and some impractical ones). A man who loved cats and tortoises, kept bees, and raised sheep. Wilkins also declares that Pratchett was the most firmly married man of all time.

There are lots of facts, many culled from the unfinished autobiography that Pratchett was dictating during his last years, plus copious anecdotes that the omnipresent PA recalled. Given the nature of their professional relationship and friendship, there is also a small element of memoir on Wilkins part too. As promised in the subtitle of the book, there are copious footnotes. These are not academic references, but more like those of the Discworld novels—further comments of the author on the event in the text. Indeed there is no bibliography, so if you are in search of analysis you will be disappointed.

The final chapters of the book and of Pratchett's life are incredibly sad. Dementia is a cruel disease that chips away at a person until a mere shell is left. It's distressing and fear producing for the patient and painful and worrying for their family and friends. This, for me, was the primary message to pay attention to in this volume.

I have no doubt that other books will analyze Pratchett's contributions to culture and literature, but this is the fond remembrance of a close associate and friend.

Mercury Striking / Rebecca Zanetti

 

3.5 stars

I picked this book for a number of reasons—a Z author, a quick read, a little blast of fantasy before returning to my regular reading fare. This is very much a Beauty and the Beast tale set in a violent post-apocalyptic world.

Lynn Harmony is used to being the smartest person in the room, a high-powered researcher in the CDC. Then the Scorpius bacterium is loosed on the world from a meteorite (shades of The Andromeda Strain). Scorpius is deadly to most people, but a few survive. They either go crazy or become conscious-less killers known as Rippers. Now the President of the United States (and Lynn's former lover) is a Ripper and he wants her and her research back under his control.

Lynn grabs her uncle, a former cop, and heads towards a hidden lab to see if she can devise a cure. When her uncle is killed, she walks into Jax Mercury's territory and she thinks she knows what she's doing—finding a powerful protector who can help her locate the covert lab. She has no idea that he will be so unexpectedly gorgeous and charismatic. Jax hates that Lynn knocks his socks off too. The last thing he needs is emotion. They agree—just sex, no strings attached. The best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray.

So this is a romance, part Forced Proximity (Jax keeps Lynn in his rooms) and Opposites Attract (the beautiful, brainy woman and the strong, ruthless warrior). What made it all palatable to me was the political manoeuvring, the disease research, and the group survival situation. It's a high stakes game and no one could be more surprised than me to discover that I really want to read the next book! I need to know more about the rescued FBI agent, Vivienne.

Changeling's Fealty / Glynn Stewart

 

3.5 stars

Non-Calgarians probably won't get the same amount of joy out of this urban fantasy set in my city. But for those of us who live here and rarely see our home featured in fiction, this novel held little bursts of happy every time I recognized a location or neighbourhood. Mind you, trust an Ontario author to label Calgary as a “backwater" city!

As an urban fantasy, this is a pretty standard book. We have Jason Kilkenny, a changeling who is tired of being kicked around by the stronger fae in his home state of Georgia. His research indicates that Alberta has many fewer inhuman citizens and he decides to try his luck at a ‘normal' humanlike life in Calgary. Needless to say, Jason's plans go wildly astray. He is claimed by Queen Mabona as a Vassal and given what looks like an impossible mission, to rescue the Wizard of Calgary.

Of course there is a connection with Fort MacMurray and the oil sands. Besides crude, the sands also produce a magical substance which is sought by fae, shifters, and vampires. The compound itself is neutral but can be used for good or ill (rather like petroleum, really).

I am disappointed that our library doesn't have further volumes of this series. I would surely read them if they were available. But I don't think the writing is good enough to pursue them through other avenues. Nevertheless it was a fun ride!