Inside of a Dog: September 2019

Monday, September 30, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (September 30, 2019)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup.

Other Than Reading...

Most of my reading this week has been from The New American Heart Association Cookbook (9th Edition) as my brother and I are learning what his new diet has to look like after his triple bypass surgery. Of course, it won't hurt me at all to be on the same kind of diet as we have many of the same medical issues. I didn't think that I was a picky eater but I can't stand cilantro and it appears in so many of the recipes we'd like to try. Someone said I could substitute parsley so I'll give that a try.

I picked him up from the hospital on Monday afternoon and my new cookbook arrived on Tuesday. We have been to many grocery stores looking for ingredients. We've also been to other stores looking for various and sundry goods. I have to do all the driving for at least six weeks and he doesn't like to stay at home.

While he had a haircut on Wednesday, I walked around the Mall and, while he had his first session of cardio rehab on Thursday, I walked the Skywalk between all the medical buildings and got my flu shot. I also got out to Curves four times this week. It should be a really good week for steps when I get my Fitbit report.

He'll be having 36 sessions of cardio rehab from 10 - 11 AM Monday, Wednesday, and Friday starting this Monday. I'll probably get in some steps while he is in his sessions and hit Curves in the afternoon. Theoretically, I could go to Curves before I take him to rehab since they open at 5:45 AM but I am NOT a morning person.

The young lady who is managing Bill's rehab was surprised at how thin his medical file was. He hadn't had a physical since 1999. All that will be changing now! He has an appointment with a primary care doctor on Tuesday and a few other future appointments that I put on my Google Calendar. We learned that he also has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and is pre-diabetic. His bunch of daily medications almost equals the number I take each day though some of his are temporary.

We have hired someone to mow our lawn for the rest of the growing season and have a couple of possibilities for snow removal which, hopefully, we won't need for another month or six weeks. It looks like we are able to settle into what will be our new normal and still get everything done.

We got our second power bill since installing solar. This month our bill was $10.61. Subtract the service fees and taxes and we produced all but $1 worth of the power we used. I was concerned because we had so many cloudy days but was really pleased with the result.

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA Review; Nov. 5) - Contemporary mystery for devoted fans of soap operas. It is filled with plot twists and drama. My review will be posted on Oct. 29.
Tell Me No Lies by Shelley Noble (Review; Nov. 5) - Historical mystery set among the upper crust in New York City in 1906-1907. Great characters and lots of historical detail. My review will be posted on Oct. 31.

Currently

Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders by Tessa Arlen (Review; Nov. 5) - I'm enjoying this mystery set in England during World War II.

Next Week

The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King (Mine; Reread)
Echoes of the Fall by Hank Early (Review; Nov. 12)
Tracking Game by Margaret Mizushima (Review; Nov. 12)

Reviews Posted

All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming
Justice Hall by Laurie R. Kind
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

A Quiet Life in the Country by T. E. Kinsey
Archangel's War by Nalini Singh

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Archangel's War by Nalini Singh - finished copy for my Kindle.

What was your week like?

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Book Review: The Game by Laurie R. King

The Game
Author: Laurie R. King
Series: Mary Russell Series (Book 7)
Publication: Bantam; First Edition edition (March 2, 2004)

Description: Laurie R. King’s bestselling mystery series featuring Mary Russell and her husband and partner, Sherlock Holmes, is beloved by readers and acclaimed by critics the world over. Now the illustrious duo returns for their most dangerous exploit yet, in a rich and atmospheric tale that takes them to India to save the life of one of literature’s most fabled heroes.

It’s the second day of the new year, 1924, and Mary Russell is settling in for a much-needed rest with her husband, Sherlock Holmes. But the fragile peace will be fleeting—for a visit with Holmes’s gravely ill brother, Mycroft, brings news of an intrigue that is sure to halt their respite. Mycroft, who has ties to the highest levels of the government, has just received a strange package. The oilskin-wrapped packet contains the papers of a missing English spy named Kimball O’Hara—indeed, the same Kimball who served as the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling’s famed Kim.

An orphaned English boy turned loose in India, Kim long used his cunning to spy for the Crown. But after inexplicably withdrawing from the “Great Game” of border espionage, he’s gone missing and is feared taken hostage—or even killed.

When Russell learns of Holmes’s own secret friendship with Kim some thirty years before, she knows the die is cast: she will accompany her husband to India to search for the missing operative. But even before they arrive, danger will show its face in everything from a suspicious passenger on board their steamer to an “accident” that very nearly claims their lives. Once in India, Russell and Holmes must travel incognito—no small task for the English lady and her lanky companion. But after a twist of fate forces the couple to part ways, Russell learns that in this faraway place it’s often impossible to tell friend from foe—and that some games must be played out until their deadly end.

Showcasing King’s masterful plotting and skill at making history leap from the page, The Game brings alive an India fraught with unrest and poised for change—and an unpredictable mystery with brilliance and character to match.

My Thoughts: A birthday dinner with Mycroft on Mary's twenty-fourth birthday in January, 1924, sends Holmes and Russell to India to search for Kimball O'Hara who hasn't been seen for three years. Tensions are rising in India. The nationalist uprising under Ghandi is gaining momentum and the rivalry between Russia and the British is also fierce. The change from a Tsar to the Bolsheviks didn't really change the desire to gain control of India. Neither did the newly elected Socialist Party change Britain's.

The story begins with the ocean voyage to India where Mary undergoes a crash course in Hindustani and immersion in the Mahabharata to gain an understanding of the culture. She also meets Sunny Goodheart, her mother who is inspired by an Indian Teacher, and her brother who is a budding Communist. Repeated run-ins with the Goodhearts raise suspicions in both Mary and Sherlock. The suspicions reach their peak when the Goodhearts are found to be visitors to the Maharajah of Khanpur. The Maharajah is supposed to be a staunch ally of Britain but there are some questions since his country is near where O'Hara was last seen.

Holmes and Russell begin their investigation by taking on the personas of traveling magicians. They gather a young donkey boy named Bindra along with his donkey and cart and begin to make their way across India. I loved the descriptions of the land and people as seen through Mary's eyes.

Mary becomes herself again when she meets the Goodhearts and has a chance to enter Khanpur as their guest. However, Holmes and Bindra are keeping their personas and will meet her later in Khanpur. Mary gets a chance to get to know the Maharajah and finds him to be a volatile personality with a secret political agenda. He seems fascinated by Mary especially after she joined him on a hunt for feral hogs and did well. When she wants to leave, he tries to keep her there. Fortunately, she managed to resume her identity as a traveling magician and slip away from him for a while leaving him in a rage.

She and Sherlock are traveling to get out of Khanpur when the Maharajah catches up to them. He captures Sherlock but Mary is able to make her escape out of Khanpur and to a trusted British agent. Then the two of them need to find a way back in to confirm suspicions about the Maharajah's goals and, more importantly to Mary, to rescue Holmes.

This story was filled with adventure and danger and political intrigue. I loved the mystery and Mary's world. I enjoyed the ties to Rudyard Kipling's KIM and the look at India through Mary's eyes.

Favorite Quote:

"This doesn't have anything to do with KIM, does it? The Kipling book?"

"You've read it?" Mycroft asked.

"Of course I've read it."

"Good, that saves some explaining. I believe this to be his amulet case."

"He's real then? Kipling's boy?"

"As real as I am," said Sherlock Holmes.

I bought and read this one before I began blogging. I am rereading it now. You can buy your copy here.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Book Review: A Quiet Life in the Country by T. E. Kinsey

A Quiet Life in the Country
Author: T. E. Kinsey
Series: A Lady Hardcastle Mystery Book 1
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (October 4, 2016)

Description: Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they’ve just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life.

But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There’s a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation…

As Lady Hardcastle and Flo delve deeper into rural rivalries and resentment, they uncover a web of intrigue that extends far beyond the village. With almost no one free from suspicion, they can be certain of only one fact: there is no such thing as a quiet life in the country.

My Thoughts: Lady Emily Hardcastle and her lady's maid/best friend Florence Armstrong have moved to what they hope is a quiet village in rural England. They have had many adventures from China to India to London and would prefer some quiet time.

But when Lady Hardcastle and Flo come upon a body in the woods, their quiet retirement is put to the test. Feeling that the police were too quick to choose and arrest a suspect, Lady Harcastle and Flo begin their own investigation. Luckily, Lady Hardcastle knows a couple of the gentry who were old India hands and friends with her parents. While she investigates above stairs, Flo is able to conduct her part of the investigation "below stairs" and with the shopkeepers in town.

When one victim becomes two and a valuable emerald is stolen, their case gets much more complex. They need to investigate the local cricket club, the ragtime band hired to play at an engagement party, and people both above and below stairs before they can solve the crime.

I liked that the story was narrated by Flo who is a practical, down-to-earth sort and who provides balance for her more flighty but intelligent employer. The 1908 setting allowed for a variety of technology from the occasional telephone to fingerprint experts. It also showed a changing social landscape where the gentry were losing their grip on their privilege and the newly wealthy were gaining a foothold. I enjoyed the relationship between Lady Hardcastle and Flo. I really want more information about the adventures they had before this first book in a series.

Favorite Quote:

"Oh, oh, we can be detectives. You can be Watson to my Holmes."

"But without the violin and the dangerous drug addiction, my lady," I said.

"As soon as the piano arrives from London that will make an admirable substitute for the violin. And I'm sure we could both have a tot of brandy from time to time to grease the old wheels."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Friday Memes: A Quiet Life in the Country by T. E. Kinsey

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:

"Good heavens!" said Lady Hardcastle as we stepped down from the dog cart. "This is rather larger than I had expected."

Friday 56:

I was about to try to press him for more details when the bell rang from the dining room again.

"I expect that'll be for me," he said, getting up. "Please leave me a piece of trifle if you can spare it. I"m rather partial to trifle."

This week I am spotlighting A Quiet Life in the Country by T. E. Kinsey. This historical mystery is a recent Kindle Daily Deal purchase. Here is the description from Amazon:

Lady Emily Hardcastle is an eccentric widow with a secret past. Florence Armstrong, her maid and confidante, is an expert in martial arts. The year is 1908 and they’ve just moved from London to the country, hoping for a quiet life.

But it is not long before Lady Hardcastle is forced out of her self-imposed retirement. There’s a dead body in the woods, and the police are on the wrong scent. Lady Hardcastle makes some enquiries of her own, and it seems she knows a surprising amount about crime investigation…

As Lady Hardcastle and Flo delve deeper into rural rivalries and resentment, they uncover a web of intrigue that extends far beyond the village. With almost no one free from suspicion, they can be certain of only one fact: there is no such thing as a quiet life in the country.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Book Review: All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming

All Mortal Flesh
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Series: Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries (Book 5)
Publication: Minotaur Books; 1st edition (March 4, 2008)

Description: Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne's first encounter with Clare Fergusson was in an emergency room on a freezing December night. A newborn had been left on the steps of the town's Episcopal church, where Clare just happened to be the new priest. That night in the hospital was the beginning of an attraction so fierce, so forbidden, that both Russ and Clare risked compromising all of their ethics and beliefs…

In the small community of Millers Kill, gossip spreads like wildfire. So when Russ's wife kicks him out of the house, he figures it's nobody's business but his own―until a neighbor stops by and finds Mrs. Van Alstyne's butchered corpse on the kitchen floor. To the townspeople and church folk, the murder is proof that the whispered rumors about the police chief and the priest were true. But nothing is as it seems in Millers Kill, where betrayal twists old friendships―and evil waits inside quaint white clapboard farmhouses…

My Thoughts: This story begins with Clare on retreat at a mountain cabin in January trying to come to terms with her relationship with Russ Van Alstyne. Russ confessed to his wife that he had fallen in love with Clare in November. December found them in counseling and January found him kicked out of his home.

Meanwhile back in Millers Kill, a police call to Russ's house find the murdered and mutilated body of his wife in their kitchen. The deputy chief wants to keep the investigation in house but another deputy decides it is necessary to tip off the State police. He had no idea that the investigator would come in with an agenda to prove that Russ was the murderer. Russ has been staying at his mother's house but he doesn't have an alibi for the time of his wife's murder.

Russ is heartbroken and trying to investigate his wife's death. Meanwhile, Clare is dealing with a new deacon assigned by the Bishop who goal is to keep her on the straight and narrow. Things get even more tense and more confused when it is determined that the woman dead in Russ's kitchen is not his wife. Now the investigator has switched her focus to Clare as the murderer. And Russ is trying to clear her and locate his missing wife.

This story was exciting and filled with tension. The writing was strong. I felt so bad for Clare and Russ who were in the middle of a real no-win situation. They were victims of their own morals and ethics.

Favorite Quote:

"So Linda was working onsite, even though it's not technically open?"

"From what she told me, she was primarily working from home. But yes, she also worked at the resort occasionally. With all those muscular, sweaty carpenters around, who wouldn't?

Clare couldn't help herself, with a straight line like that. "I'm only interested in one carpenter, myself."

Grogan smiled, delighted. "And why not? When you find someone divine, stick with him, I say."

I bought this one March 27, 2009. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

YA Book Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Name of the Star
Author: Maureen Johnson
Series: Shades of London (Book 1)
Publication: Speak (October 2, 2012)

Description: New York Times bestseller Maureen Johnson takes on Jack the Ripper in this captivating paranormal thriller!

The day that Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school is also the day a series of brutal murders breaks out over the city, killings mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper spree of more than a century ago. Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him--the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target. In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

My Thoughts: Rory Devaux, Louisiana teenager, comes to London to attend boarding school while her law professor parents are spending a year teaching at Bristol. She is excited to be experiencing English boarding schools for herself. Her boarding school happens to be in the same area that was terrorized by Jack the Ripper in 1888. Now it looks like Jack is back. Someone is recreating the murders despite the prevalence of CCTV cameras all over London.

Naturally, Rory and her friends are fascinated by these crimes but Rory never expects to be the only witness to one of the murders. Especially since her roommate Jazza didn't see the man even though she was with her. It doesn't take long for Rory to be swept into a world she didn't know about. She learns about a special part of the London police who deal with ghosts. It seems that sometimes, when a teenager has a near death experience, they come back able to see ghosts. Rory didn't think choking on a chunk of beef would have those consequences.

I liked the character of Rory. She was self-confident, brave, and had a quirky sense of humor. I liked her friends Jazza and Jerome. Though I didn't really buy the romance between Rory and Jerome despite the amount of "snogging" the two of them did. I liked the mystery aspect of the story, too, and thought the tension built nicely to a powerful climax. I thought her police friends -- Stephen, Callum, and Boo -- were well-drawn characters with distinct personalities.

Fans of boarding schools, mysteries, ghosts, and Jack the Ripper will enjoy this story. I did a combination read of this one partially listening to the audiobook and partially reading my print copy. I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook who handled the accents, voices, and pacing of the story very well.

Favorite Quote:

I decided to deflect her attitude by giving a long, Southern answer. I come from people who know how to draw things out. Annoy a Southerner, and we will drain away the moments of your life with our slow, detailed replies until you are nothing but a husk of your former self and that much closer to death.

I bought this one and also get an audiobook from SYNC. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

ARC Review: Archangel's War by Nalini Singh

Archangel's War
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: A Guild Hunter Novel (Book 12)
Publication: Berkley (September 24, 2019)

Description: Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, faces a new challenge that threatens the balance of the world.

Wings of silver. Wings of blue. Mortal heart. Broken dreams. Shatter. Shatter. Shatter. A sundering. A grave. I see the end. I see. . . .

The world is in chaos as the power surge of the Cascade rises to a devastating crescendo. In furiously resisting its attempts to turn Elena into a vessel for Raphael’s power, Elena and her archangel are irrevocably changed. . .far beyond the prophecy of a cursed Ancient.

At the same time, violent and eerie events around the world threaten to wipe out entire populations. And in the Archangel Lijuan’s former territory, an unnatural fog weaves through the land, leaving only a bone-chilling silence in its wake. Soon it becomes clear that even the archangels are not immune to this deadly evil. This time, even the combined power of the Cadre may not be enough. . . .

This war could end them all.

My Thoughts: This episode in the Guild Hunter series was mostly a war story. It begins with Elena coming out of her chrysalis skin and bones and minus her wings but with her intelligence and personality intact...and with a few added extras. She and Raphael don't have a lot of time to get used to their new powers because Lijuan's plots and plans are coming to fruition.

The Cascade is causing all sorts of problem from ice in the desert to plagues of locusts and all sorts of other phenomena. Enough is happening that it is disturbing archangels who have been in Sleep and who want to stay there.

Between the battles and plans for battles, Raphael and Elena have some tender moments and some family moments. Illium's father is one of the Sleepers who awake which causes a lot of stress for him but reveals new strengths in his mother.

The story was filled with lots of action, love and betrayals, gains and losses. Fans of the series won't want to miss this one.

Favorite Quote:

Being good, being honorable, didn't seem to come with any prizes in this immortal fight to the death.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, September 23, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (September 23, 2019)

Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King (Mine; Reread) - This one spans from Japan to Oxford and deals with a case for Crown Prince Hirohito of Japan. My review will be posted on Oct. 27.
Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King (Mine; Reread) - This one has Sherlock and Mary in Morocco. My review will be posted on Oct. 20.
All the Things We Do in the Dark by Saundra Mitchell (YA Review; Oct. 29) - First person story told by Ava who is dealing with having been raped and assaulted as a nine-year-old and who has now discovered a body of another girl who was also assaulted. My review will be posted on Oct. 23.

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson (YA; Mine) -- Middle book in the Shades of London trilogy. I liked the characters and the paranormal mystery plot was entertaining too. My review will be posted on Oct. 22.
The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson (YA; Mine) -- This finishes the Shades of London trilogy and was a good conclusion which seems to leave room for more books with these characters. My review will be posted on Oct. 24.

Currently

Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA Review; Nov. 5)

Next Week

Tell Me No Lies by Shelley Noble (Review; Nov. 5)
Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders by Tessa Arlen (Review; Nov. 5)
The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King (Mine; Reread)

Echoes of the Fall by Hank Early (Review; Nov. 12)
Tracking Game by Margaret Mizushima (Review; Nov. 12)
Artifacts by Mary Anna Evans (Mine)

Reviews Posted

O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King
Tamiko and the Two Janitors by Forthright
Lady Helena Investigates by Jane Steen

Silver Linings by Jayne Ann Krentz
Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

New Spring by Robert Jordan (Mine) was free from Tor.com and is a prequel to the Wheel of Time series which I have not yet read.
Penny for Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber (Review; Oct. 29) is the third book in the Verity Kent historical mystery series. I got an ARC from Amazon Vine.

What was your week like?

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Book Review: Justice Hall by Laurie R. King

Justice Hall
Author: Laurie R. King
Series: Mary Russell (Book 6)
Publication: Bantam; First Edition edition (March 26, 2002)

Description: Just hours after Holmes and Russell return from solving the murky riddle of The Moor, a bloodied but oddly familiar stranger pounds desperately on their front door, pleads for their help, and then collapses. When he recovers, he lays before them the story of the enigmatic Marsh Hughenfort, younger brother of the Duke of Beauville, returned to England upon his brother’s death.Not until Holmes and Russell arrive in the village of Arley Holt can they fully understand Marsh’s dilemma.

For Justice Hall is a home of dizzying beauty and unearthly perfection, set in a garden modeled on Paradise. Russell longs for what it represents: permanence, history, the kind of roots that reach back for centuries. But Holmes senses the burdens echoed in the family motto, Justitia fortitudo mea est. And as Marsh seeks to live by the words, “Righteousness is my strength,” he is determined to learn the truth about the untimely death of Justice Hall’s expected heir...a puzzle he is convinced only Holmes and Russell can solve.

It’s a mystery that begins during the Great War of 1918, when young Gabriel Hughenfort, the late Duke’s only son, died amidst scandalous rumors that have haunted the family ever since. While Holmes heads to London to uncover the truth of Gabriel’s war record, Russell joins an ill-fated shooting party. A missing diary, a purloined bundle of letters, and a trail of ominous clues comprise a mystery that will call for Holmes’s cleverest disguises and Russell’s most daring journeys into the unknown...from an English hamlet to the city of Paris to the wild prairie of the New World. The trap is set, the game is afoot, but can they catch an elusive villain in the act of murder before they become his next victims?

A brilliant blend of traditional Holmesian myth, startling originality, complex plotting, and unforgettable characters set against a fully realized early-twentieth-century world, Justice Hall will delight readers with a mystery as intelligent as it is engagingly devious.

My Thoughts: Holmes and Russell have just returned home after their adventures on Dartmoor and are hoping for some quiet time when a knock at the door brings an old friend with a huge problem. Holmes and Russell met Ali Hazr in Palestine four years earlier. Now they are seeing him in his other identity as Alistair Hughenfort.

Ali has come to beg for their help in rescuing his brother Mahmoud from a future that he doesn't want. As the second son of the Duke of Beauville, he wasn't expected to ever inherit the dukedom and the tremendous responsibility and the weight of family tradition. However, his brother's heir nineteen-year-old Gabriel died during World War I and his brother died soon after.

Ali wants Sherlock and Mary to c.onvince Marsh Hughehfort to abdicate in favor of another heir so that they can resume their lives in Palestine as Mycroft's agents. Marsh is not happy with his new responsibilities. In fact, Mary likens him to a man who is just waiting to die. But his long family history won't let him abandon those who depend on him. He does have questions though. Was his nephew executed for some sort of military crime? And if he was, who engineered his death? And, did his brother Lionel really marry and have a child who could be a new heir?

As Mary and Sherlock investigate Gabriel's death, they discover all sorts of questionable things from missing records to unexplained transfers. As they dig deeper it becomes clear that someone engineered young Gabriel's death. And, after a hunting accident that could have killed Marsh, it is clear that the manipulator isn't finished with his crimes.

This story ranges from Justice Hall to London to Paris and to a small town outside of Toronto as Mary and Sherlock investigate this complex conspiracy. The setting and time period are so well drawn that they feel real. The aristocratic lifestyle of Justice Hall is already showing some cracks as the results of World War I and the loss of so many young men are making for great changes in the culture.

The descriptions were so detailed both for Justice Hall and for Ali's home. The characters were complex. Although we don't ever meet Gabriel we get to know him through the memories of those who did know him and through his diaries and letters. There are many secrets and startling revelations in this story which adds to the excitement and to the mystery. It was a compelling story both as a mystery and as a window into a time long gone.

Favorite Quote:

Five years or fifty, when people have sweated, suffered, and shed blood together, there can be no hesitation: If one calls, the other responds. We had shared salt and bread, those staples of Bedu life; now it appeared that we were about to share our combined strength. My blood family had been dead for nine years; however, in the interim I had acquired a most singular pair of brothers.

I bought and read this one before I started blogging. I am rereading it now. You can buy your copy here.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Book Review: Lady Helena Investigates by Jane Steen

Lady Helena Investigates
Author: Jane Steen
Series: Book One of the Scott-DeQuincy Mysteries
Publication: Aspidistra Press (March 14, 2018)

Description: A reluctant lady sleuth finds she’s investigating her own family.

Step into Lady Helena Whitcombe’s world with the first novel in a series that will blend family saga and mystery-driven action with a slow-burn romance in seven unputdownable investigations.

1881, Sussex. Lady Helena Scott-De Quincy’s marriage to Sir Justin Whitcombe, three years before, gave new purpose to a life almost destroyed by the death of Lady Helena’s first love. After all, shouldn’t the preoccupations of a wife and hostess be sufficient to fulfill any aristocratic female’s dreams? Such a shame their union wasn’t blessed by children . . . but Lady Helena is content with her quiet country life until Sir Justin is found dead in the river overlooked by their grand baroque mansion.

The intrusion of attractive, mysterious French physician Armand Fortier, with his meddling theory of murder, into Lady Helena’s first weeks of mourning is bad enough. But with her initial ineffective efforts at investigation and her attempts to revive her long-abandoned interest in herbalism comes the realization that she may have been mistaken about her own family’s past. Every family has its secrets—but as this absorbing series will reveal, the Scott-De Quincy family has more than most.

Can Lady Helena survive bereavement the second time around? Can she stand up to her six siblings’ assumption of the right to control her new life as a widow? And what role will Fortier—who, as a physician, is a most unsuitable companion for an earl’s daughter—play in her investigations?

My Thoughts: The first Scott-DeQuincy mystery stars Lady Helena. She is the youngest of six daughters and the sixth of seven children. Only her brother Michael who is the current Earl of Broadmere is younger.

The story begins with the death of Lady Helena's husband. Sir Justin Whitcombe was a near neighbor and a gentleman farmer. Most believe that his death by drowning was an accident caused when he went into a river to rescue one of his sheep. Only French doctor Armand Fortier is unconvinced that the death was an accident. Fortier is a new arrival in the area and a somewhat controversial figure.

This is the second great loss that Helena has had to face. When she was sixteen, she lost her first sweetheart to some sort of accident. That plunged her into a state of withdrawal and depression that lingered for some years. Justin was much older than Helena but she turned to him when her own father died. They had a happy marriage unfortunately not blessed by children.

Lady Helena is trying to deal with her grief and with the interference of most of her siblings. Michael who seems to be somewhere on the autism spectrum can't understand why she won't turn over all of her farming interests to him to manage and he is also assuming that she will soon remarry. In fact, most of her sisters are pushing for a quick remarriage as, in their opinion, a woman can't be fulfilled outside of marriage.

Lady Helena has revived an old interest in herbs which she had shared with her mother until her own tragedy derailed it. Now, her mother who was a noted herbalist is suffering from dementia or maybe madness and Lady Helena uses her mother's own journals to revive her own interest in herbology and to learn about the mother she is losing.

The story was an engaging look at a time period quite different than our own when the rich landowners still felt a sense of noblesse oblige for those who worked for them and lived on their lands. It was a time when aristocratic women has few rights or responsibilities outside their homes and class roles were set in stone.

I loved watching Lady Helena grow and learn to stand up for herself. I loved the beginnings of the romance with Monsieur Fortier. I thought it ended perfectly with the passage of the Married Women's Property Act of 1882. I look forward to more books about this family and set in this time period.

Favorite Quote:

"There's no such thing as a settled life, begging your ladyship's pardon. We're always moving in some direction. You can't move back, so you must move forward."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Friday Memes: Lady Helena Investigates by Jane Steen

Happy Friday everybody!

"The point is," said my brother Michael, "Helena can't possibly manage the estate now that Justin's dead. And this house is far too large for a widow with no children."

Friday 56:

"How often does Monsieur Fortier go to France?"

"Four times since he moved to Littleberry, the word is. With no explanation ever given. The Dermodys know what it's about right enough, but no hint escapes either of them. The servants can fathom the mystery. The Frenchie never takes a man with him on his travels."

This week I am spotlighting Lady Helena Investigates by Jane Steen. This book was a $.99 Kindle Deal. I chose it because I have been enjoying a lot of historical mysteries lately. Here is the description from Amazon:

A reluctant lady sleuth finds she’s investigating her own family.

Step into Lady Helena Whitcombe’s world with the first novel in a series that will blend family saga and mystery-driven action with a slow-burn romance in seven unputdownable investigations.

1881, Sussex. Lady Helena Scott-De Quincy’s marriage to Sir Justin Whitcombe, three years before, gave new purpose to a life almost destroyed by the death of Lady Helena’s first love. After all, shouldn’t the preoccupations of a wife and hostess be sufficient to fulfill any aristocratic female’s dreams? Such a shame their union wasn’t blessed by children . . . but Lady Helena is content with her quiet country life until Sir Justin is found dead in the river overlooked by their grand baroque mansion.

The intrusion of attractive, mysterious French physician Armand Fortier, with his meddling theory of murder, into Lady Helena’s first weeks of mourning is bad enough. But with her initial ineffective efforts at investigation and her attempts to revive her long-abandoned interest in herbalism comes the realization that she may have been mistaken about her own family’s past. Every family has its secrets—but as this absorbing series will reveal, the Scott-De Quincy family has more than most.

Can Lady Helena survive bereavement the second time around? Can she stand up to her six siblings’ assumption of the right to control her new life as a widow? And what role will Fortier—who, as a physician, is a most unsuitable companion for an earl’s daughter—play in her investigations?

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Book Review: Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King

Locked Rooms
Author: Laurie R. King
Series: Mary Russell (Book 8)
Publication: Bantam (June 21, 2005)

Description: Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes are back in Laurie R. King’s highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling mystery series. And this time the first couple of detection pair up to unlock the buried memory of a shocking crime with the power to kill again–lost somewhere in Russell’s own past.

After departing Bombay by ship, Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock Holmes are en route to the bustling modern city of San Francisco. There, Mary will settle some legal affairs surrounding the inheritance of her family’s old estate. But the closer they get to port, the more Mary finds herself prey to troubling dreams and irrational behavior–a point not lost on Holmes, much to Russell’s annoyance.

In 1906, when Mary was six, San Francisco was devastated by an earthquake and a raging fire that reduced the city to rubble. For years, Mary has denied any memory of the catastrophe that for days turned the fabled streets into hell on earth. But Holmes suspects that some hidden trauma connected with the “unforgettable” catastrophe may be the real culprit responsible for Mary’s memory lapse. And no sooner do they begin to familiarize themselves with the particulars of the Russell estate than it becomes apparent that whatever unpleasantness Mary has forgotten, it hasn’t forgotten her. Why does her father’s will forbid access to the house except in the presence of immediate family? Why did someone break in, then take nothing of any value? And why is Russell herself targeted for assassination?

The more questions they ask of Mary’s past, the more people from that past turn out to have died violent, unexplained deaths. Now, with the aid of a hard-boiled young detective and crime writer named Hammett, Russell and Holmes find themselves embroiled in a mystery that leads them through the winding streets of Chinatown to the unspoken secrets of a parent’s marriage and the tragic car “accident” that a fourteen-year-old Mary alone survived–an accident that may not have been an accident at all. What Russell is about to discover is that even a forgotten past never dies…and it can kill again.

My Thoughts: After their adventures in India Holmes and Russell make a long-delayed side trip to San Francisco. Mary hasn't been there since she was fourteen and was the only survivor of the car accident that killed her parents and younger brother. She was gravely injured and traumatized by the accident. She did some work with psychiatrist Dr. Ginzburg before moving to England to live with her aunt.

Now it is time to meet with her lawyers and make some decisions about the businesses and properties left to her when her parents died. But Mary is being troubled by three recurring dreams that are causing insomnia and lack of appetite. Holmes is worried for her.

When they arrive in San Francisco, they are confronted with even more mystery. A strange codicil to her father's will has kept their family home empty since it requires that entry is only permitted with a member of the family. The house is neglected and the grounds are vastly overgrown. But it appears that someone has been inside and searched the place.

Mary has always insisted that she was not in San Francisco during the 1906 quake and fires but she learns that she was which explains the first dream about flying objects. The second dream about a faceless man takes longer to figure out but it also had its origin during 1906. The third dream about secret rooms takes the longest to figure out.

While Mary is meeting with lawyers and meeting old friends that she barely remembers, Holmes is busy looking into the past the Mary has forgotten. Holmes even recruits Dashiell Hammett as his irregular since Mary is unavailable. Holmes comes to the conclusion that the accident that Mary has blamed herself for was really a murder designed to look like an accident.

This story is different than many of the earlier adventures in that there are sections told from Mary's point of view and other sections told from Sherlock's point of view. It was a wonderful adventure that illuminated Mary's past both for the reader and for Mary. I loved the San Francisco setting and the various characters including some residents of Chinatown.

Favorite Quote:

The top of her hat might have tucked under my chin, had I been foolish enough to allow her that close. Its wavering feathers and bristling bits of starched ribbon were ferociously up-to-date, and her well-corseted figure was wrapped in an incongruously youthful dress whose designer would have been outraged at the sight (although it testified well to the tensile strength of the thread), and her hair might at one time have been nearly the intense black it now was. Her fingers sparkled with a miscellany of stones, and the mauve colour of her sealskin coat came from no animal known to Nature. She was making for me with both arms outstretched, and although she looked more likely to devour me than to embrace me, I did the English thing and resisted mightily the impulse to place the outstretched heel of one hand against her forehead to keep her at arm's length. Instead I allowed her to seize my forearms and smack her painted lips in the general direction of my jaw.

It appeared that I had a dear friend in San Francisco.

I bought this one in 1996 and am rereading it. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Book Review: Tamiko and the Two Janitors by Forthright

Tamiko and the Two Janitors
Author: Forthright
Series: Amaranthine Saga Book 3
Publication: Twinkle Press (July 22, 2019)

Description: In doing her part for world peace, she puts one crosser’s whole world at risk.

Conspiracy theories, werewolf scares, and protest rallies have hampered the peace process in America, where social and political unrest keep most Amaranthine from declaring themselves. Those not in seclusion rely heavily on illusion to mask their true nature.

As the newly appointed principal of a small elementary school, Tamiko Reaverson is doing her part for world peace. She rallies her community’s support and applies for Hisoka Twineshaft’s school revitalization project, which will bring Amaranthine to her hometown. Little does Tami realize that Fletching was founded by one of the oldest and largest urban enclaves in the United States. And two of her staunchest supporters—janitors at her school—share a secret neither wants exposed.

My Thoughts: This story takes place in an America that has not yet embraced peace with their Amaranthine neighbors. Tamiko Reaverson has a plan to do her part for world peace. As an elementary school principal, she convinces a middle school principal, a high school principal, and the head of the local college to apply for a grant which will bring Amaranthine to her town.

Tami doesn't know that the town is filled with Amaranthine already who are living veiled with their illusions. Even the two janitors at her school are hiding their Amaranthine natures. Of course, Tami has a secret past too. In fact, it is so secret that she doesn't even know that her family are descended from Reavers who interact with the Amaranthine.

Tami's twin brother Joe is especially hidden since his very powerful and rare Reaver power has been warded into hiding by someone.

This story had a variety of romances and lots of wonderful detail about the Amaranthine. It also brought us up to date on characters from the first two books in the Amaranthine Saga. I loved the worldbuilding and the many intriguing characters. I also enjoyed the romances.

While not a cliffhanger ending, the ending certainly left room for more stories.

Favorite Quote:

At times, everything about her life seemed to be hurtling toward the unknown yet times like this, the whole world seemed to pause. If it was Ash's doing, maybe it was some kind of Amaranthine magic. As if having a long life didn't diminish the importance of moments. He definitely had a knack for drawing out the potential of each one. He was always singling them out and slowing them down, so they could linger in them together.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Book Review: Silver Linings by Jayne Ann Krentz

Silver Linings
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Publication: Purple Papaya, LLC (June 30, 2017)

Description: Mattie Sharpe is never late but getting lost on a winding island road that dead-ended in the mountains set her back by two full hours. Nerves already frayed from the delay left her unprepared for what she found at her destination--Paul Cormier slowly bleeding to death on the white marble floor of his pristine mansion. Had she been on schedule, Mattie would have suffered the same fate.

Now she's on the run with the only man who can keep her safe, Hugh Abbot. Trouble is, he's the same man who walked out on her several months ago; the one man she vowed never to see again. Hugh is a man who understands priorities. Getting Mattie safely off the island is at the top of his list. He's got a lot of challenges -- he can deal with a closed airport, a plane in flames and a jungle. But convincing Mattie that she can trust him is the biggest problem of all.

My Thoughts: Mattie finds herself in the middle of an adventure when she stops at the island of Purgatory to pick up an ancient sword for her aunt and finds the murdered body of the sword's owner. Fleeing the scene, she runs into the last person that she wanted to see on her island vacation. Hugh Abbot is the man who turned down her marriage proposal, broke her heart, and took off for parts unknown. She's been avoiding him for a year.

Hugh regrets hurting Mattie but it was really the wrong time to begin a new relationship. He had just broken his engagement to her sister Ariel and was questioning his own judgment. Some thought convinced him that Mattie was the woman for him. The only problem is that she isn't eager to hear what he now believes.

Hugh rescue Mattie from danger and they head off to a nearby island. Hugh is ready to resume their relationship, marry her and take him back home to his island where he is in the process of setting up a charter airline business. But Mattie has had time to think too and she isn't at all certain that she wants to trust Hugh with her heart again. Worst of all, following Hugh means giving up her life in Seattle where she is a successful art gallery owner.

Having successful careers in two very different places would be enough of an obstacle to romance but there's more: an old enemy of Hugh's has resurfaced and Hugh needs to take care of him. After all, he tried to kill Hugh and did murder his friend on Purgatory.

This novel was written in 1991 and it shows in a few ways. Lack of cellphones which likely wouldn't have worked on Purgatory anyway is one of the things that make its age know. Most of all though, the attitudes indicate the book's age. Hugh's unwillingness to hear the word "no" in sexual situations was a little troubling even if Mattie was willing to be convinced.

This story does have Krentz's trademark quirky characters and crisp dialog. It has independent women and men who are heroes with slightly rusty armor. It was an enjoyable reread since I hadn't revisited it since buying and reading it first in 1991.

Favorite Quote:

"None of us can actually make someone else happy, not really. We each have to find our own happiness within ourselves. We have to work at it. It takes courage."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, September 16, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (September 16, 2019)

I, Robot: To Preserve by Mickey Zucker Reichert (Mine) - This finishes the prequel to Isaac Asimov's robot books. I enjoyed it. My review will be posted on Oct. 30.
Ask Me No Questions by Shelley Noble (Mine) - This historical mystery is the first book in a series. The second is on my review stack. My review will be posted on Oct. 19.

Wild Country by Anne Bishop (Mine) - I chose this one for a reread because I needed a Kindle book while I was waiting for appointments.
Archangel's War by Nalini Singh (Review; Sept. 24) - This was a surprise arrival this week months after I requested it at NetGalley. It was another great episode in the Guild Hunters series. My review will be posted on Sept. 24.

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