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Friday, May 28, 2021

The Heron's Cry by Ann Cleeves, The Child in the Photo by Kerry Wilkinson, Art Matters by Neil Gaiman and A Borrowing of Bones by Paula Munier

 

I read this in April, but it won't be published until Sept. 7.  I intended to schedule it, but I'm tired of waiting that long to review a book.  I will mention it again closer to publication.

from description:North Devon is enjoying a rare hot summer with tourists flocking to its coastline. Detective Matthew Venn is called out to a rural crime scene at the home of a group of artists. What he finds is an elaborately staged murder--Dr Nigel Yeo has been fatally stabbed with a shard of one of his glassblower daughter's broken vases.

Dr Yeo seems an unlikely murder victim. He's a good man, a public servant, beloved by his daughter. Matthew is unnerved, though, to find that she is a close friend of Jonathan, his husband.

I enjoyed the first of Cleeves' new series featuring Matthew Venn, but not as much as her Vera series.  However, I'm liking it better as I grow familiar with the characters in the Two Rivers series.   The Long Call introduced her new characters and The Heron's Cry continues their development.   So...a nifty police procedural as well-written as is typical of Cleeves, and characters who are evolving make The Heron's Cry another great addition to the Cleeves' body of work.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Police Procedural.  Sept. 7, 2021.  Print length:  400 pages.

 
from description:  I stare at the newspaper article about a baby snatched from the back of a car thirty years ago, and wonder why someone would post it through my door. Looking closer, my blood freezes. The little girl in the photo has an unusual scar – just like mine.  

Kerry Wilkinson is another of my go-to mystery and police procedural authors.  The Child in the Photo is a stand-alone and a compelling read as I became engaged with Hope's search for the truth.  

It isn't my favorite from this author, but I enjoyed the relationship between Hope and her best friend Stephen and the twists as Hope begins to realize that the family she has known and loved is not her biological family.  Her feelings of frustrations, confusion, and anger, as she delves into the past and several deceptions by people she meets.  

NetGalley/Bookoutre
Mystery.  June 14, 2021.  Print length:  318 pages.

I listened to this as an audio book and thoroughly enjoyed Neil Gaiman's very English voice;  the only drawback was that since it was an audio book, I didn't get to see Chris Riddell's drawings.

My favorite was Gaiman's talk "On Libraries, "  which emphasizes the importance of libraries and fostering young readers.  Of course, you would all agree with his opinions, as you are readers, too, but it was a pleasure to listen to.

from description:   

Art Matters bring together four of Gaiman’s most beloved writings on creativity and artistry: 

  • “Credo”, his remarkably concise and relevant manifesto on free expression, first delivered in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo shootings
  • “Make Good Art”, his famous 2012 commencement address delivered at the Philadelphia University of the Arts
  • “Making a Chair”, a poem about the joys of creating something, even when words won’t come 
  • “On Libraries”, an impassioned argument for libraries that illuminates their importance to our future and celebrates how they foster readers and daydreamers.
I listened to this as I was working on some small Nightmare Catcher dolls.  I was watching a K drama when the main character gave the love interest, who was troubled by night terrors, a Nightmare Catcher doll.  It was very similar to Junker Jane's monster dolls, and I went upstairs and immediate began gathering scraps to make some of my own.  (Melanie, have you watched It's OK Not to Be OK?)  Audio books are wonderful to listen to while working on these eccentric little creatures.    

The next audio book I listened to was A Borrowing of Bones (which I downloaded some time ago on Lark's recommendation, but had not listened to.)

from description:  First in a gripping new mystery series about a retired MP and her bomb-sniffing dog who become embroiled in an investigation in the beautiful Vermont wilderness
It may be the Fourth of July weekend, but for retired soldiers Mercy Carr and Belgian Malinois Elvis, it’s just another walk in the remote Lye Brook Wilderness—until the former bomb-sniffing dog alerts to explosives and they find a squalling baby abandoned near a shallow grave filled with what appear to be human bones. U.S. Game Warden Troy Warner and his search-and rescue Newfoundland Susie Bear respond to Mercy’s 911 call, and the four must work together to track down a missing mother, solve a cold-case murder, and keep the citizens of Vermont safe on potentially the most incendiary Independence Day since the American Revolution.

 Yes, I'm still a sucker for working dogs, and Mercy, Elvis, Troy, and Susie Bear kept me interested the entire time.  Amy and Helena and Patience were also great characters.   A Borrowing of Bones was a suspenseful mystery and a new series to follow.

Thanks, Lark! 

I was still making dolls, but in addition, I was also managing some household chores like dusting, mopping floors, etc.   Now, I have a cleaner house, four completed dolls and two more in progress all while being entertained .  



23 comments:

  1. You, Lark, and I all enjoy working dog mysteries. I, too, like Munier's series.

    I've got The Heron's Cry waiting for me to read, and I'm really looking forward to it.

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    1. Those working dogs, with all of their training, smart noses, and loyalty get me every time. I liked The Heron's Cry and the growing feeling of familiarity with the characters!

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  2. I want to read A Borrowing of Bones. I'm a sucker for working dog mysteries too, and this one keeps popping up.

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    1. Margaret Mitzushima and Barbara Nickless also write great mystery/crime novels featuring heroic dogs. Now, I'm adding Munier to my list. :)

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  3. Love the Brontesaurus! And I'm so glad you enjoyed A Borrowing of Bones. It's fast becoming a favorite series of mine. :)

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    1. Thanks for that recommendation, Lark. I did get involved with Elvis and Susie Bear--as well as the human characters. :)

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  4. Art Matters sounds wonderful. I'll have to check that one out. The mysteries sound good too.

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    1. The talk Gaiman gave about libraries and readers is particularly wonderful and apt. All readers will appreciate it!

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  5. Sounds like you've really been busy...and that's a good thing.

    After months of procrastinating about reading an Ann Cleeves novel, I FINALLY bought a Kindle book copy of her "The Long Call" after I noticed her post on Facebook that Amazon was running it at $1.99 for the day. Now, I just have to work it into the schedule. I'm actually looking forward to it a lot because so many of you guys read her so much.

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    1. I still prefer the Vera series, but I'm warming up to this new one. All of her main protagonists are outsiders in some way: Jimmy Perez in the Shetland has some tragedies in his background and a Spanish name on the little Shetland island; Vera Stanhope is overweight, cantankerous, and a loner; Matthew Venn is from a strange, strict religious community, but is now excluded because he is gay. All are excellent detectives and as different as they can be!

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  6. Haha.. I loved the cartoon! I really enjoyed the Ann Cleeves' book A Long Call and will definitely look forward to this latest. Can you believe I still haven't read a Vera book? I need to make it a point. And, the Neil Gaiman book sounds like a must read.

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    1. I love the crotchety Vera and her team! The Vera series is one of my favorites. And the cartoon made me laugh. :)

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  7. Art Matters sounds like a great read; and all the more we readers have to check it out. I've heard of "It's OK Not to Be OK" but haven't got around to watching it. I'm currently watching "Sell Your Haunted House" and am enjoying it. It's a story centering around an exorcist and a psychic, who's her partner; and I think the premise is intriguing too.

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    1. Sell Your Haunted House sounds like one, I'd enjoy. I mean--an exorcist and a psychic! I agree with Neil Gaiman about the importance of libraries and encouraging readers, but he says it all so well!

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    2. I tried so hard to like the Veraseries but couldn’t get into it 😔 and I really wanted to!! The Matthew Venn series is one I will continue with tho 😃 The Child in The Photo is really interesting too !

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    3. Awww. I can't even remember the first books in the series (it was 20 years ago!), so maybe they started slower. But I became invested in Vera and Joe and eventually Holly. I can't watch the Vera television series or the Shetland Island one, but I love the books!

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  8. Again, great cartoon, and some books that look interesting, too. Never enough hours in the day for me.

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    1. Never enough hours in the day for me, either. :) The cartoon makes me smile.

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  9. Art Matters is a great little book, especially with Chris Riddell's illustrations. But listening to Neil read his own work is always a treat. I'll have to grab the audio version.

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    1. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Neil Gaiman, but I did miss seeing the illustrations. Maybe I should grab the written version :)

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    2. It is a nice one to add to the collection. The last time I read his book Fortunately, The Milk, I listened to him read it on audio while following along with the book so I could enjoy the illustrations.

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  10. I've only read the first four Shetland Island mysteries by Cleeves. I bought The Long Call for my mother and she liked it but didn't love it. But she is also only really acquainted with the televised versions of Cleeve's novels. I need to give it and the Vera books a go.

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    1. I felt the same about The Long Call (liked, didn't love), but I did like the second book better. The Vera books are my favorites. :)

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