Dead Stop by Barbara Nickless; Snail Mail

In the second book featuring railway cop Sydney Rose Parnell and her Belgian Malinois K-9 partner Clyde, the two again face a tricky investigation.  When Sydney gets to the site of an assumed suicide, she quickly sees problems with a suicide scenario and things become more complicated.  A woman has been murdered and her young daughter kidnapped.

The plot grows even more tragic and perplexing as more brutal murders are discovered at the woman's home. 

 Sydney is a fascinating protagonist, tough, complex, compassionate...and still haunted by her service in Iraq.  
An old rivalry may have had something to do with the murders and kidnapping and the investigation leads to decades old crimes and a twist.

I started this series with the 4th book in the series from NetGalley and that review is scheduled.  Now, I've read the first two books in the series and can't wait to start the third book!  Except that then I will be caught up and have to wait for book #5.

Book 1:  Blood on the Tracks
Book 2:  Dead Stop
Book 3:  Ambush
Book 4:  Gone to Darkness (scheduled for May 10)

Sydney and Clyde are now part of my favorite partners list.

Kindle Unlimited

Police Procedural.  2017.  Print length:  400 pages.

----Snail Mail for the Lonely-----

During lock downs across the U.S., folks who are already isolated in hospitals and nursing homes can no longer have visits even from family members for safety reasons.  

I wrote a little about this on my other blog, along with a list of several places that have requested  cards and letters for their residents.  Not only adults, but children can participate in writing letters to people who are lonely or feeling cut off from society right now.  You may even know someone who lives alone and would appreciate a handwritten communication.

Here is another article about the importance of mail for those who need to connect with the outside world:  Become a Penpal to Seniors.

And Hallmark offers free greeting cards to overcome social distancing.

Killing November by Adriana Mathers and Other Stuff

I received Hunting November, a YA novel, from NetGalley.  Since it was the second novel in a series, I decided to get the first one and read it before beginning Hunting November.

Adriana Mather's Killing November is the first in the series.  When November Adley's aunt's house is broken into, her father sends her to a boarding school to keep her safe while he deals with the situation.

Academy Abscondititi is an eye-opening experience for November, not least because it appears that someone wants her dead.  It is also off the grid in what appears to be a medieval castle that has no electricity and a curriculum that focuses on physical skills like archery, poisons, knife throwing.

We all know the boarding school trope, and watching November trying to navigate this unusual and dangerous academy kept me reasonably entertained.  November needs to avoid being killed, avoid being held responsible for the murder of one of the students, and she needs to find out who she really is and why someone wants to kill her.

Now, I will proceed to Hunting November, my download from NetGalley to find out what happens next.  Right now, I'm not up to much other than a lot of  escapism.












---------
These were the last postcards and letters I sent in early March, before we all got worried about mail transmitting the virus.

Now, it has been weeks since I've mailed anything other than a bill or two.  I miss letters--both the sending and the receiving (which has also become very occasional).   All mail entering the house receives the same treatment as packages or groceries.  I'm cautious, but grateful for those who deliver the mail, the medicines, the online necessities.  How are you feeling about mail?

Remember the Plague Doctors?

and a more DIY version

Bones of the Earth, Girl Most Likely, Shattered Dreams

Bones of the Earth by Eliot Pattison. I read the first book in this series when it first came out nearly 20 years ago, and although sadly I've missed some of the more recent installments, Pattison's Inspector Shan series is one of the best series out there.  Beginning with The Skull Mantra in 2000, the series ends with Bones of the Earth , the 10th and final book in the series.  

Inspector Shan, a disgraced Beijing investigator, was sent to a Chinese gulag in Tibet in the first book.  Shan is horrified by the treatment of the Tibetan monks and intrigued by the courage and calm acceptance the monks exhibit.  In each successive book, Shan's situation improves as he proves himself a skillful investigator and useful to Colonel Tan.

In Bones of the Earth, Shan witnesses the execution of a Tibetan, then finds himself investigating the deaths of an American woman and an archaeologist, and realizes that the executed Tibetan was not guilty of corruption, but a witness to the murders of the woman and the archaeologist who were trying to prevent the destruction of a Tibetan holy site.  As usual, Shan is in a precarious situation as he attempts to bring the guilty to justice.

While I'm sad to see this series end, I'm happy that the conclusion provides a sense of hope for Shan and the people he loves.  I was pleased to see a couple of characters from earlier books make reappearances.  And I loved Tara, the goat!

This is an excellent series with characters the have depth and dimension, complex mysteries and investigations, and exemplary research and knowledge of Tibet and its people.  

Highly recommended.  To understand why Eliot Pattison writes about Tibet.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Mystery/Crime.  March 26, 2019.  Print length:  352 pages.




Max Allan Collins' Girl Most Likely has received mixed reviews on Goodreads (from 2-5 stars).  It starts with a brutal murder told in the first person, and the murderer voices his concerns about his next victim(s) in several other chapters.  Who and why?

Set in Galena, Illinois, much is made of the Scandinavian roots of Krista Larson, the young woman police chief of Galena.  There is an awful lot of "virtue signaling," a phrase I've not heard of before, but was actually in need of for a recent novel.  Thanks to reviewer Glen for providing me with the perfect way to describe an author's tendency to keep pounding the characteristics of a good character as if I needed constant reminding.

There are WAY too many details of clothing, which irritated me as well.  Yes, clothing details can be revealing, but details for every item, for almost every character feels like filler.

OK, Krista must discover the guilty party among her former classmates when a murder during their ten-year reunion occurs. 

NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer
Crime/ Police Procedural.  April 1, 2019.  Print length:  272 pages.  

I was hoping for something in the line of Craig Johnson's book, but Shattered Dreams and it's protagonist Sheriff Virgil Dalton didn't fulfill that hope.  On the other hand, the reviews in Goodreads at this point are all 5 stars, so I'd suggest that it just wasn't a good fit for me.

Shattered Dreams annoyed me with the constant references of how good a character was (because once wasn't enough for me to understand) and with dialogue that turned into philosophical musings rather than conversation (because everyone I know talks like that). Thankfully, Glen's term of "virtue signaling" is perfect.

Obviously, the series is loved by many readers, but not every book fits every reader, and I'll stick with Craig Johnson and Longmire for my western mysteries.

NetGalley/Beyond the Page Publishing
Crime/Western.  March 22, 2019.  Print length:  297 pages.

------------National Letter Writing Month--------------

a mix of letters and postcards

April Reading and Writing

I've been reading such a variety of books lately:  fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, mystery, history.

Zora and Langston is proving a much slower read than I would have thought.  There are so many interesting elements about the Harlem Renaissance, about Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes and their backgrounds and their writing that I find it strange that I keep putting it down and reading something else.  Maybe it is that creepy vibe concerning Charlotte Osgood Mason, their patron, that puts me off.  Maybe it is that I know Zora and Langston's friendship will end badly.  Maybe it has something to do with details that slow down the narrative, i.e. concerning the trip through the South.  

Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson was great fun, after I finally settled in.  Dance of Thieves, the first in the series, was a fantasy full of action and suspense with well-drawn characters, and Vow of Thieves was as good or better.  I'm working on the review which will be scheduled for closer to the publication date in August, but I loved this YA fantasy.

If you are interested in WWII, The Liberation of Paris by Jean Edward Smith is one of those nonfiction histories that wouldn't let me read slowly.  Usually nonfiction is a slower process for me, but the way Eisenhower, De Gaulle, and Von Choltitz managed to keep Paris from being destroyed was fascinating reading.  Hitler wanted Paris "defended to the last man" and the city left in rubble, but thankfully the destruction of the city was avoided by some serious maneuvering on the parts of three men.  (Not without the help of others.)

I've written and scheduled this review, but for those interested in WWII, I highly recommend it.

Candace Robb's A Conspiracy of Wolves is as good as her previous books in the Owen Archer series set in the 14th century.  Her research is impeccable, and her characters, plots, and writing make her one of my favorite historical mystery writers.  






These are my favorites so far this month; there have been a couple of others that were good.
------------
This is National Letter Writing Month and National Poetry Month, and I've been writing letters and reading poetry.  Well, I do some of both every month, but this month I'm trying to do more.   I've also included some excerpts from song lyrics on some of my mail because I do think Paul Simon is a poet.  You can find April's first outgoing mail at Bayou Quilts.

And since I found some Will Rogers postage stamps, using quotes from Will Rogers illustrates how little people and politics have changed: 

“Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people that they don't like.” 

“I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.”

Letters in the Mail and in Books

Two letter writing challenges take place in February--A Month of Letters and InCoWriMo.  I've done A Month of Letters before, but not this year.  I have been busy with catching up with mail I owed, some postcards to the grand's, a birthday postcard.  I love getting letters in the mail, and I love decorating envelopes and homemade postcards--it brings out the child in me--to cut and paste, paint, collage, etc.  

Finding a letter in mailbox is a treat I never tire of, and while it is exciting to get a decorated envelope, it is the message inside that means the most.  Some of my favorite letters have nothing on the envelope but a canceled stamp and my address, but inside is a handwritten message that catches me up with what is going on in a friend's life.


I'm interested in this book by Nina Sankovitch after reading Leslie Stahl's comment:

“How sad to think our children may never get a letter from a friend or a lover, the art of both—the sentiment and penmanship—fading away like an old Polaroid. Nina Sankovitch’s lovely, elegant book about the intimacy of letters is rich with treasures from politicians, soldiers, mothers, prisoners, husbands, and wooers. It is a joy to read, savor, and remember.” – Lesley Stahl







I try to write my grands pretty regularly, mostly with postcards, so they will have had the experience of receiving personal mail addressed to them.  Only one of my grands has ever written back, but I treasure those few letters.  It is difficult to compete with technology, which is why I find the InCoWriMo term "vintage social media" especially appealing.

A postcard to my granddaughter.  

This is an excellent article:  9 Reasons Not to Abandon the Art of the Handwritten Letter

Some of  my favorite  books are written in epistolary style:  Dracula,  84, Charing Cross Road, Griffin & Sabine, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Historian, Sorcery & Cecelia....  And I enjoy letters written by famous people, and fan letters to authors and the replies, and The Graceful Envelope, and hand illustrated letters on Pinterest, and more mail art on Pinterest.

The next letter writing challenge is in April--The National Card and Letter Writing Month sponsored by the United States Postal Service.  Not that you have to wait to write letters or send cards through the mail.  I like the idea of setting my own challenges--a letter a week or two a month or whenever I feel like it!  :)

Do you write letters or send cards?

Is letter writing really too old-fashioned in the world of email and text messaging?

What are your favorite books about letters or written in the form of letters?

Snail Mail and Sei Shonagon

I've been catching up on correspondence this month.  

After failing to reply in a time manner for over a month,

I had quite a few responses to write.

Had fun finally using some of the tea bags I painted last year.

Below: postcards to the grands on top,

The one in the middle has one of my embroidered leaves.  

click to enlarge

Still reading The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon, but it, too, has suffered some neglect.  This morning, I read the following entry:

114.  It is Delightful When There Has Been a Thin Fall of Snow

    It is delightful when there has been a thin fall of snow; or again when it has piled up very high and in the evening we sit round a brazier at the edge of the veranda with a few congenial friends, chatting till darkness falls  There is no need for the lamp, since the snow itself reflects a clear light.  Raking the ashes in the brazier with a pair of fire-tongs, we discuss all sorts of moving and amusing things.

(then Shonagon speaks of an unannounced visitor and says that one of the ladies quotes the poem about the man who came today, and they all laughed and stayed up 'til dawn talking. 

 In the end notes, I found the poem by Taira no Kanemori:

Here in my mountain home
The snow is deep
And the paths are buried [in white].
Truly would he move my heart--
The man who came today.

It was a timely entry for me to read this morning, and I thought about my friends Patti and Dave who are shoveling snow in Colorado and my friend Penny, who is staying inside and admiring the snow in North Carolina.

Intasar's Give Away and Two Reviews

Attention school librarians:  Intasar Khanani is having a give-away for high school libraries.  She is offering five sets of books (Thorne & Sunbolt),  Both are excellent, and I have reviewed them here  and here.  

The give-away is only for high school librarians who will be able to share the books with students.  If you are a high school librarian, you can enter here: Library Love Giveaway.

Reviews

French Rhapsody  (translated by Emily Boyce) is the third book I've read by Antoine Laurain.  I loved The President's Hat and enjoyed The Red Notebook.   

I thought I was going to love this one as well, but alas, not so.  It started out so well, but around half way I felt like I was plodding through it.  The premise is excellent and I enjoyed much of the first half of the book, but then...I started skimming certain sections (too much about Lapelle and the Bubble and Vaughn).  I was still interested in JBM, but  the other characters--not so much.

NetGalley/Gallic Books

Satire.  Oct. 11, 2016.  Print length:  232 pages.

The Moth Catcher by Ann Cleeves has D.I. Vera Stanhope and associates (D.S. Joe Ashworth and D.C. Holly Lawson) investigate first one murder...and then another.  What connects the two victims in a way that merits murder?

As usual, Cleeves makes great use of secondary characters. This ability to bring the secondary characters to life is what, for me at least, separates Cleeves' novels from many others in the same genre.  

A community of retirees, all with secrets, provide Vera with the opportunity to satisfy both her own innate curiosity and to unravel the circumstances behind the two related murders. Vera, unlike Joe and Holly, loves to observe people, to indulge her inquisitive nature; her ability to sit down and talk to people on a personal level often yields just the information she needs to put the puzzle together.

Vera, unattractive and overweight, is a fascinating character who makes nosiness an art form.  I thought there were too many disagreeable descriptions of Vera in this installment, but otherwise, another fine addition to the series.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press

Police Procedural.  Oct. 4, 2016.  Print length:  400 pages.

-----
I'm still having great fun with my snail mail.  Have been creating some autumn/Halloween envelopes and making a huge mess in my studio.  October will see quite a few Halloween letters and postcards going out.  And each day, I look forward to seeing what might be in my mailbox!

Two Mysteries and Some Snail Mail

The Chosen by Kristina Ohlsson is set in Stockholm, Sweden.  This is the first book I've read in the Fredrika Bergman and Alex Recht series, and while I realized that there was a backstory with which I was not familiar, it was not detrimental to the plot.  

A pre-school teacher at a Jewish school is killed by a sniper, and later on the same day, to young boys go missing.  The seeds were sown in Israel decades before, and Bergman and Recht need to discover why two Israeli families emigrated to Sweden.  

A lot of tangled threads in this one and some deliberate misleading, though not exactly red herrings.  I wouldn't mind starting at the beginning of this series.

NetGalley/Atria Books

Nordic Mystery.  First published in 2013; trans. in 2015, 2016.  Print length:  592 pages.


Death Deserved by L.J. Sellers .  I read Deadly Bonds in 2014 and liked the main character, Detective Wade Jackson.  

Jackson's sergeant is hospitalized and in intensive care after being poisoned; two people are shot at a licensed marijuana nursery; Jackson worries about his own health; and plenty of personal complications among the members of the Violent Crimes Unit keep the plot rolling.

I did not like this one as much as Deadly Bonds, but I this is another series that I wouldn't mind catching up on.

NetGalley/Thomas & Mercer

Mystery.  July 19, 2016.  Print length: 286 pages.

-------  Mail Art continues, and I keep playing with used tea bags

Two Reviews and a Question

300 Days of Sun by Deborah Lawrenson is set in Faro, the southernmost district in Portugal, which boasts 300 days of sun each year.  Jo, a journalist recently made redundant, enrolls in a language school in Faro to learn Portuguese. With little else on her mind but escaping from a relationship that is no longer satisfying, Jo meets Nathan Emberlin, who has a laid back confidence and an interest in everyone and everything.

Nathan, however, has not come to Faro simply to learn the language; he has a puzzle he is trying to solve, and knowing that Jo has a journalistic background, asks how she would go about uncovering the information he needs.

Nathan's investigation into an old child-abduction case intrigues the journalist in Jo, and she joins him in his search for answers.

The answers may lie in a far more distant past than at first expected, and Jo is advised to read The Alliance, a novel that involves refugees from WWII who arrive in Portugal, officially a neutral country but with fascist ties and plenty of Nazis.  A parallel story emerges that will, eventually, explain something about circumstances in the present.  (While interesting, some of the sections from the novel within the novel slow down the pacing.)

Someone does not want the distant or more recent past revealed, and Nathan and Jo's investigation turns threatening.

The consequences of the past, suspense, complex characters, and a captivating setting--I'm certainly interested in reading more by this author.

NetGalley/Lawsome Books

Suspense/Mystery.  May 16, 2016.  Print length:  384 pages.

Oh, how I love good historical fiction!  And Gentleman Captain provides a suspenseful historical tale filled with adventure.  Set a few years after Oliver Cromwell's death, Charles II  navigates the uneasy peace that lies between the Roundheads who supported Cromwell and the Royalists who support the monarchy. The novel covers something I'd never really thought about--the transition involved in the Restoration.  Old wounds are still raw, offenses are not yet forgiven, and politics are definitely divergent; efforts are being made to unite England, but the path is precarious and deciding who to trust is difficult.

Historically, there are some interesting details about the navy and its traditional operation (gentlemen captains with no experience is only one element, lovers of naval history will be more than satisfied with the details of naval operation), but the novel is also an adventure in which Matthew Quenton, a young inexperienced captain (who lost his last ship) is commissioned to accompany another ship captained by a former Roundhead to investigate and foil an attempt at conspiracy in Scotland.  

Fortunately for Matthew, he is accompanied by the man who saved his life when his last ship hit the rocks and sank.  Matthew and Kit Farrell have a deal:  Kit will teach Matthew seamanship and Matthew will teach Kit to read.  One of the most enjoyable elements of the novel is Davies' ability to bring to life so many secondary characters, always a feat to be admired.

The beginning was a little slow, but when the ships set sail, a fascinating tale begins.  Great plotting, compelling characters, and lots of action kept me engrossed.  And yes, I loved the couple of mentions of Samuel Pepys, naval administrator and diarist!

The novel was originally published in 2009, so I'm delighted to learn I can look forward to more of Matthew Quinton's adventures without a long wait.

J.D. Davies is a British historian and writes both fiction and nonfiction.

NetGalley/Endeavor Press

Historical Fiction/Adventure.  2009, 2016.  Print length:  341 pages.

------

Have you ever written a letter to an author?  

I'm considering working up the courage to do so, 

but I'm not there yet.

James Preller, an author of children's books, visits schools and receives a lot of fan mail, and he makes an effort to reply to the children who write to him in such a generous and humorous way!  

I was writing a post about letters and thank you notes on my other blog, and Mr. Preller gave me permission to use one of the letters he received and his reply.  You can check it out here.  A wonderful way to encourage kids write letters and what an experience if the author actually writes back!

Snail Mail, Mail Art

Two books that I've read in the past several months, but haven't reviewed:

Snail Mail by Michele Mackintosh is a fun and crafty book with some good ideas for spicing up mail art and some free stickers, too.

I enjoyed it, and when I'm in the need of a little inspiration, I can check it out again.

Purchased.

Always First Class: The Pleasure of Personal Letters by Lois Barry is about letter writing, not mail art, and is full to the brim with the most wonderful quotes!

It's uplifting to get a letter--like an 'ooh!' in your mailbox.
            --Kate Spade

Everything is good, even having to write letters, because there are things one can write that one can't say just as there are things one can say that one can't write.
           --May Sarton to Margaret Foote Hawley

I live a solitary life.  My gregariousness is letters...
                                                       ---Donald Hall

I write to my mother every day, and of course in a daily letter you end up telling everything--stories, dreams, recipes, family, politics and the world.  I never read them again.  When I sit down and write while thinking about someone, the writing is much easier.
           ----Isabel Allende
     (who has written to her mother every day for thirty years)

Purchased.

A few examples of incoming mail:

From Wendy--

with a bookmark

AND

a bookmark (front & back)

hand-made by the Marvelous Mouse!

from Suzie--

a cool postcard she found at Jazz Fest

Since this beautiful skyline is in Singapore,

you may have guessed Melody

    

from Connie, who always has creative envelopes

A couple of outgoing pieces.

Sending letters and postcards has been keeping me remarkably busy!  Many more examples are on my other blog. So much fun to make postcards and envelopes--and even more fun to find something cheerful in my mailbox, sit with a cup of tea, and read the letters!   

Letters and Poetry

I'm always browsing topics I'm interested in, and lately, to no one's surprise, I'm fascinated by correspondence.  Letters written during wars, letters to strangers, letters from authors; they can be delightful and funny, wise and foolish, full of sorrow or joy.  

Recently, my browsing led to The Letter You Always Wanted to Write, published by The Guardian.  These are some "Wow" and thoughtful letters about topics that are extremely personal, but that will have resonance with almost anyone.  I wish I were so articulate in expressing gratitude or in honestly explaining my feelings, positive or negative.

And poetry.  I love poetry, but over the years, my reading and rereading of poems--that was a habit for most of my life--has declined.  I mean to remedy that.  My favorite poems are the ones I've read for decades, since I was a child, really, and reading my mother's poetry books, most of which were beyond my abilities.  No matter, I fell in love with poems.

My knowledge of more modern poets, those who have written mainly in this new century, is more limited, but that's OK.  There are volumes of poems by the poets I love, enough to keep me occupied.  

I know many of you love the poems of Mary Oliver, and I found this article that gives insight into her private life and is a kind of love letter to her partner of 40 years.  

 "Read poetry every day of your life. Poetry is good because if flexes muscles you don't often use enough. Poetry expands the senses and keeps them in prime condition. It keeps you aware of your nose, your eye, your ear, your tongue, your hand, and above all, poetry is compacted metaphor and simile. Ideas lie everywhere through the poetry books, yet how rarely have I heard teachers recommending them for browsing."
-Ray Bradbury

A timely reminder.

I've been enjoying myself lately, choosing poems to include with my letters and lines to include on postcards. 
----------

This morning, I received an email from author Howard Eisenberg, the author of the Guess Who series of poetry books for children.

Here is an example from Guess Who Zoo: 

(a little sample…)I sun myself upon the rocks
I wear no shoes. I need no socks.
The only school I ever see
Is a school of fish.
That’s lunch for me.

My furry skin’s so warm, it’s said
That I can make icebergs my bed
The circus puts me in its shows
To spin beach balls upon my nose.

Grownups applaud and children cheer
When I do back flips on my ear
For me though it is no big deal
It’s really easy for a __________.

The poems are enjoyable and fun for children and adults and would make great gifts.

Parents' Choice Award      

And from Adorable Scoundrels:

Mothers will certainly appreciate these short (and totally accurate) poems!

• Holding Pattern
  Why am I pushing this stroller
  Holding my toddler? Looking harried?
  I had no idea when I bought it
  She’d prefer to be carried.
• Emily Postscript
  Can’t find it in Miss Manners’ book
  But I’ve a hunch
  You should leave a very big tip
  When you take a toddler to lunch.
• Unholy Roller
  He will not use the potty.
  He is stubborn on this issue.
  But loves going to the bathroom
  To unroll the toilet tissue.

You can find out more about Howard here.