Sunday, 29 June 2025

Mindful of Murder / Susan Juby

 

4 out of 5 stars 

***2025 Summer: Murder Across Canada***

British Columbia

This book is an intriguing mixture of the serious and the hilarious. Susan Juby obviously has a well developed sense of humour, which she deploys just enough. Her characters are wonderful, very reminiscent of Thomas King's in The Back of the Turtle or Sufferance. To my way of thinking, that is a huge compliment.

Our Buddhist butler main character, Helen Thorpe, is trying not to be unhappy about her current task. Her friend and former employer, Edna, had asked her to oversee a kind of test for Edna's younger relatives to see which one would be best suited to take on the management of her rather eccentric lodge after Edna's death. Helen is comforted by two of her butler classmates who insist on helping her.

The characters who really stand out are the young man that Helen hires locally as an assistant (Nigel) and Edna's great nieces and nephews, who are all seemingly entitled assholes, each in their own obnoxious way. They are deliciously horrible, but we get to know them better along with Helen, as she guides them through the classes they must take: flower arranging, dance, and meditation.

Helen has questions about Edna's death. The police have ruled it suicide, which is completely unlike the Edna that Helen knew. But Helen would prefer to leave the investigation to the professionals, at least until she has accumulated enough doubts to truly concern her.

It's wonderful to watch the three close butler friends work supportively together, as Nigel says, “Butlering the shit out of everything.” I also enjoyed Nigel's evolution from a useless young man to a guy with aspirations. Of course I appreciated watching Helen's reluctant but thorough investigation. Juby chose a perfect perpetrator in my opinion. I will definitely read more of Helen Thorpe's adventure.

Thursday, 26 June 2025

Deadly Appearances / Gail Bowen

 

4+ out of 5 stars 

***2025 Summer: Murder Across Canada***

Saskatchewan

I have to hand it to Gail Bowen, she writes a great mystery. I love her amateur investigator, Joanne Kilbourn, a widow who is still re-finding her footing in the world. Normally, I avoid books that centre on politics, but I was drawn into this one despite myself. The opening chapter plunged me into the circumstances surrounding the death of a newly selected party leader and the aftermath. I was hooked because the human relationships predominated, not the political ones. The author very carefully avoids naming the party that Joanne has worked for, although one comment about a past Prime Minister pretty much nailed her party affiliation for me. I wonder if I'm right?

When a politician is murdered, there are a plethora of suspects. This was a refreshing mystery in large part because it didn't follow the police investigation. Joanne has an interview with the detective in charge early in the novel, but doesn't hare off to conduct her own research, despite the fact that she is a suspect. Instead, she deals with the death of her friend, her daughter moving out to go to university, friends moving away, and finding a new focus for her energy and her life. I find this much more believable than running out to “find the murderer,“ as happens in so many mysteries. What Joanne does decide is to write a biography of her friend—she is researching his life, not his death.

Bowen gets the Prairie details just right, knowing that Saskatchewan residents are fondly/dismissively called “stubble jumpers,” the prevalence and influence of Bible colleges, and the prominence of Ukrainian-Canadians in Western Canada. She has lived and taught in Saskatchewan long enough to know. If her prose is any indication, she is an awesome teacher and a woman who would be fascinating to have coffee with.

This is a riveting mystery, extremely well written and it blew me away. There are many more books in the series and I wouldn't be surprised if book two finds its way into my reading queue soon. If you like mysteries, I highly recommend it.

Tuesday, 24 June 2025

And Then Is Heard No More / Raye Anderson

 

***2025 Summer: Murder Across Canada***

Manitoba

3.6 out of 5 stars

It's a bit odd to be reading a book about winter in cold, snowy Winnipeg while seeing a beautiful summer day outside my Calgary window. I may not live in Manitoba, but any Canadian prairie dweller will recognize the weather that RCMP officer Roxanne Calloway has to deal with: icy streets, low temperatures, blinding snow, and impassable roads.

The old adage says to write what you know and Anderson knows Manitoba and theatre, so a mystery set in a professional theatre company in Winnipeg was a natural fit. My library didn't have the first book featuring Roxanne, so I can only judge by its description—the first murder victim in that novel is part of the local music scene. Obviously the arts are a subject of expertise for the author.

Anderson also makes use of issues that we all know plague our law enforcement agencies, like rampant sexism, among other biases, and the general belief of some officers that they are somehow exempt from the law that they are supposed to enforce. When a second murder occurs within Winnipeg city limits, Roxanne gets saddled with Cooper Jenkins, a city cop, who calls her Foxy Roxy, contradicts her at every turn, assumes he's in charge of the investigation, and eventually gets brained by a woman that he has been interrogating a little too aggressively. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

All in all, I felt the writing was solid. Anderson didn't waste words, she got right to it. She didn't over explain, just let the reader see what Roxanne saw. She planted believable red herrings, gave us a complicated plot, and wrapped things up while still leaving some questions in my mind. I love that—I don't want everything tied up neatly with a bow on top. Life isn't like that. I can't say that I'm desperate to read further in the series, which is just as well, since this is the only book that my library has.

Monday, 23 June 2025

Written on the Dark / Guy Gavriel Kay

 

4.5 out of 5 stars 

Guy Gavriel Kay never disappoints me. I love his alternate history almost as much as his beautiful writing. He has a gift for creating characters that I care passionately about, plus he that unicorn among male authors who can write female characters with depth, emotions and motivations that I recognize. They are certainly not inferior beings, they are powerful in their own ways and realms. They matter and they make their presence felt.

Kay is a poet, so maybe it is natural that the central character, Thierry Villar, is a tavern poet with a quick wit and a sharp tongue. In fact, there are a plethora of poets, some more talented than others. It would be difficult to dislike Thierry, who sometimes speaks when he should be silent, but is generally a humble guy, who doesn't expect to be drawn into the politics of royalty. He is surprised to find that he rather likes several of the city watch, whom he has previously avoided (with good reason).

It becomes obvious why Kay writes alternate history rather than straight historical fiction. He steeps himself in historical research, then changes and bends events in his version of medieval Europe to suit his own purposes. This is a far different version of the Battle of Agincourt—you will barely recognize that event or King Henry V. However, there is a young woman with a sword and a mission that you will identify immediately.

So, why 4.5 instead of 5 stars? Although I was glued to the pages until I reached the conclusion, it didn't quite charm me like previous novels. That is most likely my own mindset right now. A reread in the future may change my mind. The ending, I felt, was a little too neat and tidy, a little too sweet for me. But this novel still ranks in the upper echelon of my regard.

Sunday, 22 June 2025

Third Girl / Agatha Christie

 

4 out of 5 stars 

M. Poirot spends a great deal of this book worrying that he is too old. A young woman barges into his house one morning, seeking his help, until she actually meets him. Once she has laid eyes on him, she pronounces him too old to assist her. Thank goodness Poirot has Ariadne Oliver to boost his confidence and get him on the trail of this unidentified young woman, who may have committed a murder.

I had to wonder—Christie was in her mid-seventies when this was published, and I wonder if someone had suggested to her that she was too old to still be writing? Or was she in full self-doubt mode? It has been suggested that her last novels were adversely affected by the onset of dementia and I wonder if decline was on her mind as she penned this novel.

However, I found this book quite up to snuff. I had just begun to catch on to what was going on when all was revealed. I must confess to quite liking the psychiatrist, although I did wonder why he wanted to move to Australia. At any rate, if Christie was fighting with self doubt, I assume that she, like Poirot, came out of this book with self-esteem intact.

Thursday, 19 June 2025

June Bug / Mira Grant

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Mira is well on the way now to being the gal I met in November Hunt. Jed is in the scene now, poised to become her friend. Mrs. Berns has weaseled her way into a library assistant job with Mira and is saying and doing the inappropriate things that I love her for. Kennie Rogers is coming up with goofy schemes to try to make money. Plus Mira has met Johnny, although under less than ideal circumstances.

The mystery in this volume wasn't my favourite, but that could be because Mira doesn't have true partners in crime yet. She certainly has her reporter hat that she puts on to justify her curiosity, but she really doesn't have backup. Her dealings with Jason's violence prove that she could use some help, and unlike some main characters of cozy mysteries, Mira realizes it and is appropriately scared. At this point in the series, she's honestly on the edge of propriety herself, wielding a skeleton key, sneaking into hotel rooms, and generally slinking around.

It's interesting to see Mira's relationships and her place in the Battle Lake community evolving. I'm glad that I backtracked to read these early volumes of the series.

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

The Queens of Crime / Marie Benedict

 

Book 11 of the 2025 Read Your Hoard Challenge

3.75 stars?

I picked up this novel with very high hopes—perhaps too high. I mean look at that gorgeous cover! It just begs you to read it. Plus it features Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers as characters, both of whom are writers who I love. All of this potential goodness wrapped up in one volume.

It took me a while to warm up to the first person, present tense writing. Somehow it kept me at arm's length from the action, not really fully engaged. Eventually I found my stride and was able to quit obsessing over it. Told entirely from Sayers' point of view, I felt the story could have been improved by giving at least one of the other authors their turn.

I haven't read any books by Margery Allingham or Ngaio Marsh, nor have I read biographical material of them or Emma Orczy. I have read many of Sayers' Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane books and almost all of Christie's novels. In addition, I've also read Christie's autobiography and a recent biography and a biography of Sayers. My memory is less than perfect, but Benedict seems to have done her research on these women. I will be trying some Marsh and Allingham mysteries in the future in order to get to know these women.

It was a great idea, based on actual events. The author's note at the end sorts out the fictionalized aspects. I will have to re-read the last pages once more before heading off to book club tomorrow. I am scheduled to chair this meeting and I'm interested to hear the opinions of the other members. The book came highly recommended by a bookstore employee, but I am struggling to analyze exactly how I feel about it. Perhaps our discussion will help me sort out my thoughts?



Saturday, 14 June 2025

Overgrowth / Mira Grant

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Four words: Vampire Plants From Space.

Anastasia went into the woods when she was three and when she returned, a change had happened. She tells everyone she meets that she's an alien disguised as a human and that her people will be coming to get her. Most people laugh. Some get angry. But none of them take her seriously. When a message arrives from outer space, Stasia knows that her time is getting shorter.

Each chapter begins with a quote from H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds. Wells envisioned intelligent cephalopods and Grant gives us sentient plants. There are lots of references to Little Shop of Horrors too. It's been a long time since I read The Day of the Triffids, but its influence here is unmistakable.

I was particularly fond of Stasia's relationship with Graham, a trans man and herpetologist. Stasia has loved him from before his transition. As she says at one point, he always believed she was an alien and she always believed he was a man. Their love gets pushed, pulled, bruised, and otherwise tested when the space armada arrives. Stasia is torn—can she have her genetic space relatives and maintain her love for Graham and the handful of friends that have stuck by her over the years?

I’m not usually a horror reader, so I don't know how to discuss those aspects of the book. Gradually transforming into something not human would definitely horrify me, especially if the people around me began to smell delicious. Then there is the predictable human response and the destruction that feature in most apocalyptic fiction. That would also be horrifying to endure.

I had lots of thoughts about our home-grown colonization and genocides, as well as humanity's xenophobic tendencies. This book can be merely an alien invasion or it can be a metaphor for our bigger human problems. Either way, it was a gripping and entertaining read.

Thursday, 12 June 2025

Sixth Grave on the Edge / Darynda Jones

 

2.6 out of 5 stars 

It's said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. I keep reading this series, which is so close to being really good and it keeps missing my personal mark.

I want to like these books. I enjoy some of the humour, although I have complained in other reviews that I think the author tries too hard. For me, it comes down to Charley herself. It's like she has ADHD and can't really concentrate on anything. I am constantly wishing for her to pay fricking attention. Then there is the whole idea that romance and sex are the be-all and end-all of any woman's existence. I'm impatient with Charley playing coy with Reyes, which has been going on for books now. I am also kind of offended by the emphasis on Charley's friend Cookie and the need to get her matched up with someone.

On the plus side, Charley is finally learning about her Grim Reaper abilities. Now if she only had the concentration skills of a chicken, she could grow into her powers. Ms. Jones, what the hell? Why won't you let this character grow and become competent? Why must she act like a nitwit?

Darynda Jones belongs to the Paranormal Women's Fiction group, which I admire. So I think it's time that I quit beating my head against this series, which doesn't suit me despite its popularity, and try some of her other stuff. If you see me picking up the next Charley Davidson book, punch me.

Wednesday, 11 June 2025

Haunt Your Heart Out / Amber Roberts

 3 out of 5 stars 

I strangely haven't got much to say about this romance. It was well written enough. I liked it, but didn't love it. I don't think I'll ever want to re-read it, which is the mark of a book that I really enjoyed.

I completely understand Lex's desire to own the bookstore that she works in. I kind of understand her desire to stay in her little village in Vermont. Her fear of being left was completely comprehensible. Aren't we all worried about that at our core? Or is that just me?

This will sound odd, coming from a woman who gets freaked out by her own imagination when reading ghost stories, but there wasn't nearly enough paranormal activity involved in the plot of this novel. James was getting stressed by supposed ghostly phenomena and I was unimpressed. I should be checking under my bed, but I had no desire to do so.

Recommended for romance readers who don't require mystery or paranormal angles to get them interested.


Tuesday, 10 June 2025

The Retirement Plan / Sue Hincenbergs

 

4 out of 5 stars 

I was reluctantly charmed by this novel. I went into it in a bad mood. It was due at the library in days and couldn't be renewed. I hate reading under pressure, so I was pissy about it. But the further I read, the more forgiving I got, because Hincenbergs has written a clever and amusing story that is not really a mystery, but has some great twists and turns nevertheless.

Four couples, all alike in financial difficulties, in trouble where we lay our scene. Four years ago, one of the husbands got suckered by an investment scheme and took the other three along for the debacle. Since then, they have schemed to replace that retirement nest egg. Now Dave, the casino machine technician, has been found dead with a thousand dollar casino chip on his chest. The men panic, thinking he was killed in an Indian mafia style hit because Dave's way of funneling money out of the casino has been revealed. They must disappear and they know just who can help them—their barber, Hector who has a reputation for getting things done. Meanwhile, the wives realize that Dave's wife, Marlene, is now enjoying a large insurance payout and all that stands between them and financial comfort is their husbands. And they know just who to consult about that problem—their husbands' barber, Hector.

Add to the pot the young woman newly in charge of the casino, Padma. I had to reluctantly empathize with her, as she is completely out of her depth. Never in the top percentile in her business courses, she is clueless about the running of the casino. Hank, one of the scheming husbands, actually does the work of scheduling, hiring and firing. Padma also has a domineering mother who is determined to marry her off advantageously and who criticises everything about her daughter. Padma has no social skills, no ability to read a room, a crushing inferiority complex, and really sore feet from wearing the highest heels possible.

Hector is obviously very involved in the action and soon his wife Brenda is head of security at the casino. This adds to the mayhem. It's a comedy of errors with assassins. Not quite slapstick, but close. Every time the characters turn around, there's a new situation to be dealt with. How could I not be charmed by this dark humour?

If you're staring at retirement and thinking that you could use just a bit more cash, give this book a spin. It'll keep you on the straight and narrow.

Monday, 9 June 2025

Made To Be Broken / Kelley Armstrong

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

I had a more difficult time with this second book about Nadia Stafford. Some of that is just me being twitchy right now. I may have over-scheduled myself just a bit.

My biggest issue was with Nadia herself. She can't seem to see why Jack is hanging around. Grab a clue, Nadia, he wants to be more than your mentor! Evelyn tattles on Jack, who has broken a bone and is going stir crazy in a dismal motel room. Nadia talks him into coming to stay at her lodge, where he seems to settle in. Meanwhile, one of Nadia's employees and her baby have gone missing. No one seems to care—not the girl's mother and certainly not the local police. Nadia once swore to serve and protect, so her protective impulses go into overdrive.

How realistic is it to have teenage single mothers being killed to supply a baby black market? I am unsure, which dampened my enjoyment. But since I have no idea about the whole contract killer world, what do I know? I guess it's appropriate for Nadia to get hung up on the young woman's death as it rhymes with the murder of her own cousin when Nadia was just a kid. That's the reasoning that Armstrong presents to us, but then that trauma doesn't really get addressed.

It was interesting to see Nadia struggling to escape from Evelyn's influence, while maintaining her relationship with Jack. Jack is one of the most supportive friends ever. Nadia needs to talk? He'll listen. Need help looking for a body? No problem. Need someone to take lodge guests to the shooting range? He's your guy. Have second thoughts about a contract job? No worries, he'll do it. Just watching him tolerate Quinn courting Nadia would make him qualify for sainthood if he wasn't, you know, a murderer.

Somehow I thought that the Jack or Quinn question would be resolved in this installment, but I was wrong. I see book three in my future.

Thursday, 5 June 2025

A Drop of Corruption / Robert Jackson Bennett

 

4.25 out of 5 stars 

Often the second book in a series isn't quite up to the standard of the original volume. This couldn't be farther from the truth with this book. It is better than the first one, at least in my opinion.

Part of this is because we already know Ana and Din. We can enjoy their interactions and partnership, while being amused at how they also irritate each other. Ana knows that Din isn't thrilled with his assignment as her assistant, but she still relies on his investigative efforts. Din has his own problems, but he nevertheless does his best on each task. Although he is familiar with Ana's remarkable insights, he is still chagrined when she sees his motivations so clearly.

Our duo is sent to the edge of the empire, to the kingdom of Yarrow, which has been in negotiations for years to unwillingly join the empire. Here, an imperial functionary has seemingly disappeared from his locked quarters. Soon after, parts of him are recovered in the nearby swampy area. Can Ana makes sense of his death, the smugglers of the area, the local officials, and the imperial negotiation process and makes sense out of chaotic events? To assist them, a local warden is assigned to guide them. Malo is a woman with enhanced senses: exceptional hearing, sight, and especially smell. She is none too fond of imperial persons, but she reluctantly comes to admire Ana's reasoning abilities and Din's grit and determination.

This is a particularly unattractive fantasy world. Everything seems squishy, damp and changeable. Citizens must always be aware of contagion. You know those “where would you like to visit" hypothetical questions? This world is definitely off my list!