Victorian Mystery Theme Continues

I just finished another Victorian-era mystery. This one is the first in a series about Inspector Pitt published in 1979 by Anne Perry. It's called "The Cater Street Hangman."

This book is finely nuanced. While Will Thomas hits you with fast-action, witty, sly commentary and rather exotic characters, Tyler's book mirrors Victorian restraint. The characters are well-developed, and the plot moves along nicely with the requisite twists, turns and surprises. I would have liked to know more about Pitt, but I know more will information will follow. I am anxious to see how the romance between Pitt and the privleged Charlotte comes along. I believe those would be my only "wishes" for this book. I truly enjoyed it, stayed up way too late reading it and can't wait for the next installment!

On a sidenote, Anne Perry has a rather interesting background and childhood. She and a girlfriend murdered the girlfriend's mother back in the early 1950s. You can read more about it here. Ms. Perry herself has a website with wonderful information on her books and her style as well.

Until next time, may your reading be both pleasurable and profitable.

"Limehouse Text" Great Read

I cannot tell you how disappointed I am that I have now made it through all four of Will Thomas' Barker and Llewelyn mysteries. I devoured these books. They are SO GOOD! I want more!

This third in the series (I started with the fourth and then went from first through third) ties up some loose ends. In this one we get to learn a little more about the mysterious woman coming to groom Harm, Barker's Pekingese dog. We also watch Barker and his sublimely witty assistant solve the murder of Barker's previous assistant, Quong. This is a tour de force of Victorian England's China Town (Limehouse) replete with underground kingpins, bruisers, cops on the take, etc.

I can't say enough about this series. I can't wait for the next one.



Until next time, may your reading be both pleasurable and profitable.

To Kingdom Come is Another Explosive Story

Will Thomas' second Barker and Llewelyn novel furthers the development of Llewelyn's role as an assistant to a private enquiry agent, a.k.a., a private detective. This time around our two protagonists must infiltrate an Irish terrorist group masquerading as builders of "infernal devices." Our young assistant falls in love with the sister of one of the Irishmen.

While the ending seemed a bit transparent to me, I still enjoyed the book. I love Llewelyn's wry sense of humor and his self-deprecating style. Barker continues to be an anomaly only serving to pique my interest further.

All in all, this really is a wonderful series. I'm truly enjoying it.

May your reading be both pleasurable and profitable!

Some Danger Involved Great Debut

After reading Will Thomas' most recent novel, I decided to go back and start from the beginning of his series. "Some Danger Involved" is the first of the Barker and Llewelyn mysteries.

We get to meet Thomas Llewelyn, downtrodden and despairing. He answers an advertisement for a private enquiry agent's assistant. I think the chapter detailing his interview is one of the best meeting of what becomes a partner and his assistant ever written! Here comes another Holmes and Watson.

Thomas has a great knack for description of both characters and setting. His research is meticulous, and it shows through his crisp writing.

This plot of the book revolves around Llewelyn's coming of age and experience in his travails as Barker's assistant. The case which they are hired to investigate is the crucifixion of a immigrant Jew and the subsequent stoning of another Jewess. Is there a pogrom fomenting through the machinations of eugenic ministers and academics, or is this the act of some deranged lunatic?

I'm really enjoying this series, and I've already started on the next one!

May your reading be both pleasurable and profitable!

Historical Mystery Is a Hit

"The Hellfire Conspiracy" is a gem of a book. It is the fourth in a series of mysteries by Will Thomas set in Victorian England, ca 1885.

Thomas Llewelyn is an assistant to private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker. After a young girl is kidnapped and subsequently ravaged and murdered, the two take on the case of finding and stopping what is a serial killer in the East End of London.

Llewelyn is a former Oxford student who has lost his wife and has previously run afoul of the law. Barker is a former captain plying the Chinese trade routes. Their relationship is a neat fit, similar to that of Watson and Holmes.

The author has done a marvelous job of incorporating real-life personalities into his book including W.H. Stead, Amy Levy, Beatrice Potter and others. His knowledge and depiction of London at this time is equally admirable. Not since Caleb Carr's "The Alienist" have I read such a wonderfully accurate and well-researched historical suspense and mystery.

I think I will try to read Thomas' previous books. My interest is piqued!

Until next time, may your reading be both pleasurable and profitable.

Touching Story Moves Children

"Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" by Eleanor Coerr is the story of a small child who contracts the "atom bomb disease" (i.e., leukemia) after the bombing of Hiroshima.

Sadako is a vivacious young girl who loves to run. She is a bundle of energy. She does contract the disease, and eventually she succumbs to it. In an effort to bring about healing and good luck, Sadako endeavors to make 1,000 paper cranes.

This is a sad story made even more sad by the fact that little Sadako puts her faith in ancestor worship and superstitious practices rather than in Jesus Christ. The author communicates well the fact that innocent people are hurt in war, and that life bring us many things that are outside of our control.

My children were moved by the story, but they didn't like it. But such is life. Stories don't always end happily.

Ahoy, matey! Pass the rum!

Wayne Curtis' book, "and a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails," is just a delight to read. If only every history book could be this fun!

The author strives to take us through the history of the New World as shown through the history, evolution and development of that most quintessential of New World spirits, rum. I wasn't sure how rum fit into the history of our country, but it truly does. From colonial times, through temperance movements, Prohibition and the post-modern era, rum has been through it all. And what a driver of commerce it has been!

Curtis' writing style is wonderful. He has wit and humor; all of it is subtle. He must be the Jerry Seinfeld of history and travel literature. One example (about the privateer/buccaneer/pirate, Capt. Henry Morgan):

Most of all, retirement meant that Morgan could now frequent the rumshops more
often, regaling all with tales of his past adventures. But soon his health
declined, and even visits to the rumshops became too taxing for him. He
was confined to his estate, where he spent his days drinking with the few
friends who hadn't abandoned him. Each morning began with a bout of
vomiting. His legs were so swollen that he couldn't walk. He was
unable to urinate and often weak from diarrhea. The naturalist Hans Sloane
described him as 'lean, sallow-colored, his eyes a little yellowish and Belly
jutting out or prominent.' Captain Morgan's later life goes unmentioned in
the marketing material for his namesake rum." (p. 50)

Even when explaining the differences in the production of various spirits:

Distillation concentrates and intensifies the subtle tastes found in the
original low-alcohol product.. Brandy has thus been called the
distilled essence of wine, and whiskey the distilled essence of beer.

And rum? It is, as we shall see, the distilled essence of fermented
industrial waste." (p. 23-24)

In any case, if you are searching for a fun historical read or even some recipes for some cocktails serving rum (but a cocktail is in actuality a drink that contains bitters), then this book is for you!

May your reading be both pleasurable and profitable.

"Poppy" --- A Vivid Animal Tale

It seems that we're on a flower theme so let's just continue forward with it.

The children and I just finished Avi's book Poppy. I believe it is one of a series focusing on the adventures of various animal characters inhabiting Dimwood Forest.


Poppy is a young mouse who inadvertently becomes cross-ways with Mr.Ocax, the resident owl. All the members of the large mice family must ask permission of Mr. Ocax to be out and about --- otherwise, they may be eaten! Poppy's ever-expanding family needs to move because food is growing scarce, but Mr. Ocax will not allow it due to Poppy's disobedience. Poppy sets out to discover what "New House" contains that provokes some apprehension on the part of Mr. Ocax.


This is really a delightful story. The animals are so believable, and the character of Ereth, the porcupine, is really a crack-up. We were always eager to read about Poppy everyday!

Until next time, may your reading be pleasurable and profitable!

"Alice's Tulips" a Pleasant Read

I recently finished Sandra Dallas' "Alice's Tulips." At first, I wasn't sure I would like the book, but by the end, I did enjoy it.

Alice is a young married woman living in Iowa with her mother-in-law. Her husband has gone off to fight for the Union in the Civil War. Alice must grow up quite a bit as she faces hardships ranging from deprivation, immaturity, loneliness, and assault/rape. The book is written as an epistolary novel in which all the letters are from Alice to her sister, Lizzie.

I particularly liked the development of Alice as well as the growth of her relationship with her mother-in-law as well as her relationship with her sister. At first I wasn't fond of Alice. She seemed spoiled, petulant and supremely unwise. But upon further reflection, her growth out of her flaws was what made the novel work.

Sandra Dallas is an enjoyable writer. I also have read "Persian Pickle Club."

I enjoyed this one so much I gave my grandmother a copy of it! I will probably read more of her novels in the future. While they are not earth-shattering in their contributions to literature, they are simply pleasant to read.

Until next time, may your reading be pleasurable and profitable.

"Cold Day is Paradise" Is Just Lukewarm

I just completed Steve Hamilton's "Cold Day in Paradise." This is another story with a lot of hype associated with it. Written back in 1998, this novel won the 1997 St. Martin's Press PWA Award for Best First Private Eye Novel. It also received the Edgar and the Seamus awards for Best First Novel. I was excited to read this book.

Alex McKnight is a former minor league baseball player and former Detroit police officer. When his partner is killed and he is wounded, McKnight leaves the force and is on disability. He moves to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Paradise, a small town where his father had built some cabins. McKnight begins to manage the cabins for the tourist trade. The book opens with McKnight as a newly-licensed private investigator in the employ of a local attorney.

McKnight becomes embroiled in a series of murders which soon becomes associated with the man who previously shot him and killed his partner. How can this be, since that man is in prison? Who is killing the bookmakers, and who is haunting and stalking Alex?

The storyline is good, and the setting also perfect for this series. I like Alex. I must say, however, that I found the relationships between Alex and others problematic. I just couldn't get the "passion" between Alex and Sylvia (his "best friend's" wife). Also, the chief of police just didn't work for me either. And although the plot is good, I figured this mystery out way before I should have.

Given that I am particularly drawn to this area of the country (see previous posts!), I knew I would like that aspect of the book. I would like to see Alex's character more developed as well as that of the "supporting cast." I couldn't relate to Alex the way I have been able to relate to another cold weather mystery-solver, William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor. Cork is a delight. He is complex, he is flawed, and he has this whole Native American thing going on. Also, being a family man makes for some additional and familiar characters.

Even though I'm just lukewarm after reading "Cold Day in Paradise," I may read another Alex McKnight novel. I did like the way the book ended. I would love to discuss it, but I would have to really spoil it for you!

Until next time, may your reading be pleasurable and profitable!

Cather's 20th Century Masterpiece

"No romantic novel ever written in America, by man or woman, is one half so beautiful as My Antonia."

H. L. Mencken

Now, that is some high praise indeed. I had been wondering, prior to reading this novel, whether or not it could possibly be true. Having read Death Comes for the Archbishop, also by Cather, I knew the writing would be masterful, but I couldn't conceive of a romantic novel by Cather. I knew she had never married and that her closest friendships were with women. I also knew that the novel's narrator was a man. I wasn't certain Cather could pull it off, and so I reserved judgment until I had read the book. After all, Cather believed this to be her best work. If she thought so, then perhaps this novel would live up to the praise.

Mencken was right. It is simply beautiful, and it is romantic.

The story follows Jim Burden, a young boy who comes to Nebraska following the death of his parents. He is to live with his grandparents on their farm. On the train trip to Nebraska, Jim meets Antonia and the Schimerda family. They are from Bohemia. The rest of the book is about Jim, his growing up, the life on this frontier, and the challenges of immigrants coming to pursue a dream. Antonia figures prominently. She is both the land and Jim's love; she is that which is innately good, bursting with life and love. Although Jim and Antonia never become more than friends in a physical sense, they are inextricably bound together:

For Antonia and for me, this had been the road of Destiny; had taken
us to those early accidents of fortune which predetermined for us all that
we can ever be. Now I understood that the same road was to bring us
together again. Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the
precious, the incommunicable past.

While Jim leaves the farm to pursue a career back East, he can never really leave behind the frontier land. He loves it. It is a part of him.

Cather has a huge gift for descriptive writing. One can feel the landscape she so vividly describes. Her writing style is not excessively verbose, nor is it as spartan as Hemingway. Her character development is not overly introspective. There is a certain restraint which gives a wonderful tension to the story.

Reading this book brought back memories of Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain. This is another book which I would describe as sublimely written. It is a delicious and captivating tale which lingers long after the cover is closed. I would admit that this book, while not as thrilling in its action, nevertheless is equally lovely in its style and romanticism.

I can wholeheartedly encourage you to read this book. You will be edified through it.

Until next time, may your reading be pleasurable and profitable!

Aiken's Wolves is a Read-Aloud Winner

Since we homeschool, I read A LOT of children's books. Most of them I really enjoy. "The Wolves of Willougby Chase" by Joan Aiken is one of those books.

Not only is the story exciting, the characters particularly lovable or loathsome, and the tension palpable, the vocabulary is really challenging. I found myself needing to look up words! How sad is that? But tell me ... do you know what a blunderbuss is? Well, if you don't know, you can look here: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/blunderbuss

In any case, this story has the wonderful parents leaving because the mom is ill, the distant-relation-now-governess who is up to no good, scheming servants, humble heroes and all the traditional Dickens-esque characters one would expect in 19th century England. Aiken even names her characters with those outlandish Dickens-esque names: Miss Slighcarp, Pattern, and Mrs. Brisket to name a few.

Anyway, it was a delight to read aloud to the children, and I know your children would enjoy it as well. (Just keep the dictionary handy!)

Until next time, may your reading be pleasurable and profitable!

Ernest Shackleton, a True Hero

I've been revisiting my books on Ernest Shackleton, and my all-time favorite is still Alfred Lansing's "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage to the Antarctic."

Originally published in 1959, it has since seen over 26 republishings. It is the best, most-detailed account of Sir Ernest Shackleton's failed attempt to reach the South Pole. I say "failed attempt" because he didn't reach that goal. However, the fact that all of his men came back alive as well as the tremendous odds which they overcame clearly point to a larger success story here.

Lansing was able to interview at length several of the original crew members, and he had access to lots of their diaries as well. It makes for a wonderful read.

I first stumbled upon the name of Shackleton in Sebastian Junger's "Perfect Storm" back in 1997. He mentions him as crossing the South Polar Sea in an open lifeboat and his survival of a "rogue wave" towering over 90 feet in height! That sparked my interest, and I've been hooked ever since.

I've read several books about Shackleton and this voyage, but this one is the best. If you are looking for an inspiring, true, larger-than-life, unbelievable, kick-hiney story, then this is it!

Until next time, may your reading be pleasurable and profitable!

Charles Dickens --- Genius and Cad!

Jane Smiley's biography of Charles Dickens is amazing. The subject is amazing, and her skill at writing is equally amazing.

Now, I am not a Jane Smiley fan. I've never read any of her other works although I have heard of her, and I know she is quite gifted. I just had not expected that a non-fictional treatment of Charles Dickens could be so beautifully written.

Smiley presents us with Dickens and all of his facets. He is an interesting study in and of himself. Smiley chronicles his life and works. It was interesting to learn about how his works were received at the time he wrote them, how he did write them, and how he became, quite literally, the first literary superstar.

She doesn't hide his foibles. He really isn't all that likable. Nevertheless, one can only be mesmerized by his talent, energy and creativity.

Since Smiley is a novelist herself, she often gives us insight into the creative process and notices things that I had not noticed or thought of previously.

This book is one of the Penguin Lives series. I highly recommend it. If you like Dickens, you'll love this. Even if you don't like Dickens, I think you will still find it fascinating reading.

Until next time, may your reading be pleasurable and profitable!

How the Scots Invented the Modern World

I love a bold and brash title. Who needs humility? If you have written a great book, if you have a great thesis, then you need a GREAT title. There are too many books in the world for your work to be too modest. I say, "Go for it!"

Well, this author has certainly done that. Arthur Herman, perhaps piggy-backing off Thomas Cahill's "How the Irish Saved Civilization," has a wonderful tome entitled "How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World and Everything in It." Now, if that isn't a daring title, I don't know what is. I think he may have even one-upped old Cahill!

In any case, I had to read this one. Herman has a wonderful thesis, and I think he proves it well. Basically, he shows how the Scots have helped to create our modern western heritage through the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Exploring the rise of education and univerisities, and depicting the work and thoughts of Hume, Hutcheson, Smith and others, Herman makes a strong case. I wasn't aware of the impact this nation had. No wonder they are such a proud and feisty people.

If you are looking for an interesting and provoking read, then this is it!

Until next time, may your reading be pleasurable and profitable!

Payment in Blood

I just finished reading "Payment in Blood," Elizabeth George's second Inspector Lynley mystery. This one finds the inspector and his sidekick Havers in Scotland at recently renovated manor house. A dramatic troupe is there doing a reading of revisions for a new play opening in a few weeks. Everyone is related to everyone, and Lynley's 'friend' Lady Helen Clyde is involved as well. At first the play's writer is killed; then another chap who works there at the home is killed as well. Hmmmmm......

I loved the character development in this one. Also, what a cast of characters. You've got communist spies, despicable actors/actresses, dysfunctional families, alcoholics, etc.

I did enjoy this one. I started to read "Well-Schooled in Murder" as well, but I had to put it away. The subject matter was a little too much for me. I don't like murders of children.

I have learned that the BBC has canceled the Inspector Lynley Mysteries there in the UK. It stars Nathaniel Parker. I think he does a nice job in his portrayal. Such a shame.

Until next time, may your reading be pleasurable and profitable!

Hamish Macbeth a Bit Predictable

I just finished one of M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth's mysteries. I have read most of them. I enjoy reading about Hamish, a constable living in the village of Lochdubh (pronounced Lock-doo). Hamish likes his simple life, and he is wonderful at solving murders in the various villages of the Highlands of Scotlands.

This book was entitled "Death of a Dustman." A dustman is basically a garbage collector. This one, however, is also a blackmailer. Hamish must untangle the mystery assisted by Elspeth, the local beat reporter who is a bit of an eclectic. Hamish is drawn to her even though at times he is annoyed by her. His old flame, Priscilla, also makes a few appearances.

In any case, this book just was a bit too predictable. I think the clues were a little obvious. I did enjoy the book, just not as much as I usually do.

Until next time, may your reading be pleasurable and profitable!

My Book Blog

Well, now that I'm into blogging, I decided to create a book blog to go with my culinary blog.

While one of my passions is cooking, one of the others is reading. (The third is sewing. I don't think I'm ready for a blog on that one yet.)

Now that I'm already 40 years old (collective gasp), I have read A LOT of books. Hopefully this blog will serve as a diary of what I'm reading as well as a recollection of previous reads.

Currently I am not in a book club. I did start one back in 1996, and I'm so happy to say that they are still meeting. With children at home with busy schedules, I just am not able to get together and discuss much anymore. But, I still love reading, and I love to hear what others are reading and what others are getting out of their reading.

Being a homeschool mom, I do a lot of reading of children's literature out loud. My oldest son is entering junior high this year. I can hardly wait for him and the girls to get a bit older so that we can really sink our teeth into some of the world's great literature. I think they feel that they can wait for it, but I can't!

Until next time...