Quinn Hawk Trilogy by Jim Pugmire

I was looking for another medieval mystery, and I wanted to try another new author--so I perused the offerings and saw a cover that I liked with an interesting book description for 99 cents.  I had such great luck with the Jason Vail books that were also Kindle 99 cent downloads and decided to The Bishop of Canton a try.

The Bishop of Canton, the first book in the trilogy featuring Quinn Hawk, is set in a fantasy medieval world.  There is no magic, but the medieval world Pugmire created is excellent and highly entertaining.  

Written as one book of over 600 pages, the decision was made to divide the original manuscript into two books:  The Bishop of Canton and The Baron of Eastcastle.  At some point, the author decided to continue the story, and The King of Dalatia completed the trilogy.

The story follows young Quinn Hawk who, at thirteen, cannot read and has no skill with weapons.  His parents are dead; his uncle, the Duke of Eastcastle, is resigned to the fact that Quinn will be neither scholar, nor warrior.  

This is a series that improves chapter by chapter and book by book.  The author begins a bit slowly, but then seems to find his way deeper and deeper into the story and the characters.   Quinn, of course, gets the most attention,, gaining confidence as the book proceeds.

Plot:  Instead of traveling with his uncle to the Spring Festival, Quinn has permission to go with his uncle's Weapon Master and his son.  Bastian and his son, Alexander have been Quinn's best friends and supporters for most of his life, and the trip takes on an added excitement for the two boys.  When problems with a wagon wheel develop, Alexander and Quinn decide to take a brief outing while they wait for the repairs.  To their shock, they discover a cart of sacrificial wine and a dying man.  The Bishop of Canton, who has been beaten and fatally wounded, manages to tell Quinn that he has information about his parents' murders.  Quinn has always believed that his father parents (the former Duke and Duchess of Eastcastle) drowned at sea.  

Alexander goes for help while Quinn remains with the dying Bishop, but when wolves threaten him, he is saved by Rowan, a passing ranger, who is very curious about what the Bishop may have said before he died.  Although grateful to the ranger for saving his life, Quinn is reluctant to give information.

Alexander returns with help, and eventually, Bastian and the boys reach Bridgewater where the festival is held.  While there, the boys meet Rhiannon, an orphan who picks Quinn's coin purse, which the boys recover.  Now, we have most of the main characters in play.

Quinn persuades Rhiannon to come with them to Eastcastle.  There are a few more adventures before this book ends in a cliff hanger (remember, the original manuscript was divided into two books) that is resolved in the next book. 

The Baron of Eastcastle begins by recounting some of the events in the previous novel--nothing lengthy--before continuing with the story.  (Yep, I downloaded it immediately, and yes, when the book always refers to the Duke of Eastcastle, I'm not sure why the cover reads Baron.)

Quinn, Alexander, and Rhiannon have returned to Eastcastle where Quinn continues to ponder the mystery of his parents' deaths.  In spite of his uncle's request that Quinn drop the matter, Quinn and Rhiannon decide to follow up on one of the clues.  They sneak away to see if they can get further information, but when Quinn's uncle realizes where they've gone, they are pursued.  

The mysterious ranger appears again; Rhiannon disappears; Quinn is sent to Maladria as a kind of ambassador.  More danger around every corner, but the mysteries concerning his parents and several other deaths are solved.  I hate to skim over all of the adventures, but this is a pretty long post, and some of the adventures result in spoilers.  No cliffhanger;  all is wrapped up.

The King of Dalatia takes place four years later.  Quinn is now at the King's Academy in Roseland.  When he is recruited by the king to find the identity of  "The Voice of the People" more danger ensues.  New adventures and resolution.

------------
I really liked these three books.  So much so that immediately on finishing one, I downloaded the next.  This is an excellent series for young and old.

"Jim Pugmire's Quinn Hawk series provides young readers with three outstanding historical novels featuring the adventures of a teenage boy who was born the son of the former Duke of Eastcastle but must make his own way through a troubled world of intrigue, deceit, and danger. The three deftly crafted novels set in a medieval era include "The Bishop of Canton"; "The Baron Of Eastcastle"; and "The King Of Dalatia". Author Jim Pugmire has a positive knack for engaging his young readers with believable characters in a deftly woven, complex, unpredictable story line that is solid entertainment from beginning to end. This outstanding trilogy is very highly recommended for school and community library historical fiction collections."

-Midwest Book Review

Although my copies are on my Kindle, I've ordered the first two books for my granddaughter in hopes that she will find them as good as I did.  

Blur by Steven James

Blur 

Mystery and paranormal combined, the title refers to the blurring of reality that occurs when the young protagonist Daniel attends the funeral of a classmate who drowned.  Daniel, who knew Emily Jackson only by sight, is horrified when he has a vision of Emily sitting up and grabbing him, insisting that what happened was not an accident and that Daniel needs to find out what happened.

Daniel struggles with his visions and his investigation with the help of his friends.  Who would have killed Emily and why?  Sometimes the blur between the visions and reality become so unclear that Daniel isn't sure about the separation.  As Daniel and his friends work their clues, Daniel finds himself suspecting a number of people--including his best friend and himself.

An entertaining mystery with a supernatural aspect that works well.  

Biography

Steven James is the bestselling author of nine novels that have received wide critical acclaim from Publishers Weekly, New York Journal of Books, RT Book Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal and many others. He has won three Christy Awards for best suspense and was a finalist for an International Thriller Award for best original paperback. His psychological thriller The Bishop was named Suspense Magazine's book of the year. Publishers Weekly calls James "[A] master storyteller at the peak of his game."

ARC from Thomas & Mercer  

Read in April; blog post scheduled for May

Mystery/Paranormal.  May 27, 2014.  Print length:  368 pages.

Any Other Name by Craig Johnson

Any Other Name

The best thing about NetGalley is when offers like Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series appear.  I love this series
that I began following several years ago thanks to a post by Wendy at Musings of a Bookish Kitty.

I watched one of the A&E series episodes, but after reading the books, the series didn't work for me.  I'm sure it is a great series; I probably would have liked it if the characters were not already in my head.  

Aside from the fact that any dedicated reader of the series loves Walt and Henry and Dog, the pleasure of Johnson's writing provides another layer of appreciation.  Walt and Henry are intelligent, well-read, and thinking individuals.  This ability to create warm and thoughtful characters is one of the strongest points in these novels.  

Walt's daughter Cady is about to give birth, and she wants Walt there.  Walt, however, has let Lucien pull him into an investigation involving the suicide of a friend.  One thing leads to another, and the original case morphs into the cases that Detective Gerald Holman was working on at the time of his suicide.

As Lucian warned Holman's widow, Walt Longmire never gives up and sometimes what he discovers can be things that are unpleasant to know.  In this situation, the deeper Walt digs into the cases of three missing women, the more dangerous things become.

:)  Just a  fun thing to look for:  the lady with the raccoon.  

Read in April.  Blog post scheduled for May 4.

NetGalley/Penguin Group/Viking

Mystery.  May 13, 2014.  Print Length:  324 pages.

Outshine by Nola Decker

Outshine

Gabe Hearst has an unusual kind of...synesthesia?  Well, actually there is no real case of a synesthete being able to detect lies, but when Gabe hears a lie, he tastes rust.  And gets severe headaches.  Since the common social lies (yeah, your hair looks great--love that outfit--no, your butt doesn't look big) and more serious lies of all kinds abound, Gabe's life is pretty uncomfortable.  High school is a misery for him:  in the halls, the lunch room, and worst of all for Gabe, in his history class.

The result is that Gabe is a loner who doesn't like to communicate with his peers because it becomes painful.  Not only does Gabe recognize lies, but when he is lied to, he becomes aware of further information revealing the liar's thoughts.  He is aware of the lie, and the thoughts behind it. Not a pleasant talent to have.  

Jessa is the Queen Bee of Galton High School.  She has cultivated an image as the princess of fluff and style; she is concerned with her appearance and her status; and currently, she has set her sights on gaining Gabe's brother Watts as a boyfriend.  But Jessa, too, has abilities that she hides.  She is a physical powerhouse hiding behind the image of superficiality.

When Gabe's brother Watts disappears, Gabe is secretly delighted because Watts is petty and mean-spirited, going out of his way to denigrate and humiliate Gabe at every opportunity.  Jessa, on the other hand, wants her prospective boyfriend back, and recruits a reluctant Gabe in the search for Watts.

What the two discover about each other and their abilities and about the source of their abilities puts both of them in danger.  Their search for Watts reveals information that frightens and angers them.  

I enjoyed the fast pace of this book.  Gabe and Jessa each have strengths and flaws, but they form a good team. 

The young protagonists are engaging as they unite their distinctive skills to fight the villain and his dastardly plans.  Deacon, the villain, remains more of a comic book character and his network has a sketchy feel.

Although there is a final wrapping up of the plot, a sequel seems obvious.  A quick, suspenseful read.

NetGalley/7 Sparks Press

Mystery/Speculative Fiction/YA.  2014.  Print length:  243 pages.



   

I Am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff

I Am the Weapon  (previously titled Boy Nobody)

A sixteen-year-old boy.  Cute enough, friendly, the new kid at school.  "Benjamin" watches to see what attitude he should strike to make friends fast; to be the kind of person you feel you've known forever and trust.  He does this over and over, moving from one new school to the next when he receives his mission from The Program.  

He needs to befriend a fellow student in order to get close to his target, usually the father of his new friend.  "Benjamin" is an assassin and has been trained since he was twelve.

Parts of the book are very good, but things begin to slip when "Benjamin" meets a girl he begins to care about.  The problem was not in being convinced that the boy could be an experienced assassin--the author does that very well.  The problem is that Sam, the girl, is not believable.  While "Benjamin's" character can be described as spare, Sam's character is simply tissue-paper thin despite an effort to build her character.

After completing the mission involving Sam and her father, Benjamin (almost without thinking about it) goes AWOL from The Program.  Certain memories have him questioning a great many things about his past, his training, and the purpose of his missions.  Cliff hanger ending with resolution in the next book, which will probably also end with a cliff hanger.

I would have liked this one so much more if the whole Sam thing had not interrupted my ability to believe the premise which, although far-fetched, worked for me.   The parts where Benjamin thinks like an assassin are much better the parts with his relationship with the Sam, which feels false from the first time he sees her.  

NetGalley/Little, Brown

Mystery/Suspense.   2014.  Print version:  342 pages.

On the Dark Path: An Anthology of Fairy Tale Poetry

On the Dark Path is very descriptive of the poems in this anthology.  Edited by Anita M. Barnard, most of the poems are quite dark and have a modern, psychological take on the tales.  


I found the little volume disappointing because of the lack of balance and the persistent negativity.  Perhaps I would have appreciated some of the darker poems if there had been a better balance.  Had they been mixed in with poems that were beautiful because of the language, that were whimsical, or that were humorous, reading the darker poems would not have become so onerous.  Might even have been more appreciated.

As it was, the poems began to sound affected, pretentious, kind of pompously psychological.  There were maybe 3 or 4 of the 50+ poems, that caught my imagination.

Several good quotes were placed before the first poem.  I really like the following quote.

Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.  -- G.K. Chesterton, as quoted in Coraline by Neil Gaiman.

The poems in the anthology, however, do not, for the most part, carry the same message. 

Here is one of the few poems that I liked:

Snow White's Dream

the light passing through the glass
seemed distorted     slightly skewed
she feigned sleep     eyes pinched
in prayer     flushed lips
relishing the single bite
still
in her bright box
she wished to be remembered
not for her beauty
nor her sweet manner
but for how she mastered 
her own escape

---Gail Comorant


And another that is dark, but thought provoking:

Hansel and Gretel

When mother read me
Hansel and Gretel I could not believe
even a witch would bake a child.

Even as we read
thousands of children
were tossed into ovens,
small shoes, shirts, 
dresses, pants,
stripped away, piled up
and the last toy 
to which small hands clung for comfort 
pried from reluctant 
fingers.

---Wilda Morris

Poetry/Fairy Tales.  2013.  85 pages.

The Keeper by John Lescroart

My goodness, I've been reading John Lescroart's novels for a long time!  The latest entry in his series about Dismas Hardy and Abe Glitsky is The Keeper, and I enjoyed it very much.  (Especially since I was disappointed in the previous one, The Ophelia Cut, I was so glad to find that Lescroart can still keep me involved.)

Hal Chase is a guard at the city jail, his wife is missing, and when homicide detectives visit him, he decides it is time for a lawyer.  Dismas Hardy is well aware that the circumstances look grim for Katie, Hal's wife, and that the usual suspect is, indeed, the husband.  However, Dismas entertains an intuition that Hal may not be responsible.

Abe Glitsky, former head of homocide, is now retired, at loose ends, and a little bored.  When Dismas brings him on as an investigator to find evidence of Hal's innocence, Abe has to admit that Hal would be his most likely suspect.  

When Katie's body is discovered and Hal's affair and the large insurance policy on Katie are revealed--well, things don't look good for Hal Chase.  

District Attorney Wes Farrell, Dismas' friend and former partner, is also concerned with suspicious deaths that have occurred in the jail.  What connections can there be between corruption in the jail and Katie's murder?  

Glitsky is now looking at the possibility of other suspects, and it turns out there may be more than would be expected.

Lescroart is in top form, pulling together a number of disparate threads in this tightly constructed plot.  As usual, his characterization is spot on, and the cast of characters, both familiar and newly introduced, feel genuinely human. 

I've been reading this series for about twenty years, and have rarely been disappointed.  The characters have aged, their kids have grown up, their situations have changed, but the San Francisco world that Lescroart has created still feels honest and authentic.

NetGalley/Atria Books

Crime/Mystery/Legal Thriller.  May 6, 2014.  Print version:  320 pages.

The Dragon Boy: Book One of the Star Trilogy by Donald Samson

The Dragon Boy has an interesting oral process of creation, much like the original folk and fairy tales.  Donald Sampson was a Waldorf classroom teacher for nineteen years, and he shared his favorite fairy tales and folk tales and myths with his students.  Then he began a new story, a story that he spun out for weeks and that came entirely from his own imagination.  His students loved the story and begged him to write it down.    And he did.

The story begins with two archetypal characters, Galifalia, an old woman with a back story of heroism, and Aga, an ageless magician.  Aga brings Galifalia a baby boy to raise.  She tells the magician she is too old to raise a child, but she is unable to resist the baby--as Aga knew would be the case.  

The orphan baby grows happy and content in Galifalia's care, but when she dies, the boy has no one and must survive on his own.  He goes each day to the compound where the great dragon Star is kept and asks to speak to the Dragon Master.  His determination finally bears results, and his request to be taken on as a stall boy is granted.

The boy loves his work and makes some good friends, but he also must endure some bullying from one of the older boys.  Though small, his time on the streets has made him tough and determined, and he doesn't let the bullying discourage him, but fights back.  Working with the dragon Star is all he has dreamed of, and his love for the dragon increases.

Star takes to the boy immediately, and one small detail that I liked is that Star purrs when the boy is around.  Something about a dragon purring just appeals to me.  As the relationship grows, it turns out that the boy and dragon share the ability to communicate telepathically, and the dragon takes it upon himself to teach the boy.  The boy becomes the dragon's apprentice--a goal that the mysterious Aga, who brought the orphaned baby to Galifalia, has intended all along.

The Dragon Boy has been honored with a first place gold medal in the 2009 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards for Best First Book.

The Dragon Boy has also received the coveted Mom's Choice Award for juvenile fiction.

I enjoyed this adventure, and since many of the reviews are from young people, it is clear that Samson has reached his target audience.  A great book for read-aloud with parent and child both enjoying the experience, but for middle graders, an involving read on their own.

Once Upon a Time Challenge

Fantasy.  2012, 3rd ed.  245 pages.


              

Hangman by Stephan Talty

Hangman 

Serial killer Marcus Flynn has escaped from prison, and Abbie Kearney finds herself the lead in the investigation.

After murdering four young girls, Flynn's attempt at suicide failed, and the brain injured man was tried and incarcerated. The body of the 4th girl was never recovered, a loose end that hangs over the heads of the police and of her father.

Despite the dragnet in place after his escape, Flynn makes his way back to his old hunting grounds, and almost immediately begins killing again.

Abbie Kearney desperately attempts to stop the Hangman before he kills again, and a young girl has only hours left if Abbie isn't successful.

Hangman reads reads quickly and is a suspenseful adventure.  There are no surprises, really; you can figure most of it out very early, but the turns the investigation takes will keep you interested.

Talty has been compared to Jo Nesbo and Tana French, but Abbie lacks the strange charisma of Nesbo's Harry Hole and the writing lacks the multi-layered psychological approach of French. Not as violent as Nesbo, not as well-written as French.

I had a few questions about a few situations, but didn't go back to see if I just overlooked a few things.   

 Read in Jan.; blog post scheduled for April

NetGalley/Random House/Ballantine

Police Procedural/Crime.  May 23, 2014.  Print Version: 320 pages.

Fatal Inquiry by Will Thomas

Fatal Enquiry is the 6th book in the Barker/Llewellyn series of mysteries set in Victorian London.  I was not familiar with the series, but the book works perfectly as a stand-alone even though the villain was introduced in a previous book.  

Cyrus Barker, a respected private enquiry agent, is man with a complicated and colorful past and a deep appreciation of all things Asian.  Intelligent and intuitive, Barker is also a physical person, known for his skill with both fists and weapons.

 Narrated by Thomas Llewellyn, Barker's young Welsh assistant, the plot mainly follows Thomas in his attempts to save his employer after Barker is accused of murder and on the run.  

Thomas' perspective is limited, and the reader discovers information along with Thomas.  Barker, of course, is often better informed.  

Sebastian Nightwine, the villain of the piece, has a long history with Barker and has recently been granted immunity by the government and returned to London with a dastardly plan.  Taking down Cyrus Barker is only part of it.

Atmospheric Victorian London, a little "cherchez la femme," some homage to Holmes and Watson--but definitely NOT Holmes and Watson, an engaging narrator, assassins....

An interesting and entertaining mystery.  I wouldn't mind reading more in this series, getting a better feel of the background of the relationship between the experienced Barker and the loyal and resourceful Thomas Llewellyn. 

read in February

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books

Mystery/Historic Fiction.  May 13, 2014.  Print version:  304 pages

A Famine of Horses by P.F. Chisholm

A Famine of Horses

I've read one other book in Chisholm's Sir Robert Carey series (An Air of Treason), but A Famine of Horses is the first in the series and very, very good.

A Famine of Horses is a fast-paced tale full of historical detail with many of the characters taken from real life, both the good guys and the bad guys.  On Sir Robert Carey's arrival as Deputy Warden of the West March, he is faced with a murder to investigate.  He must discover the guilty person quickly to avoid further bloodshed.  Another mystery pertains to the shortage of horses; horses are being stolen at an alarming rate, and what, wonders Carey, is the purpose.

I loved Carey's character, but the other characters were well-drawn with distinct personalities, as well.  (oh, and names:  the murdered young man is Sweetmilk Graham, Carey's sister's name is Philadelphia, and then there is Red Sandy Dodd, and Bessie's Andrew, and Bangtail Graham, etc.)  

In An Air of Treason, I was quite fond of Sergeant Dodd, and it was fun to see the beginning of the relationship and get know his wife, a great character in her own right.

This was a Kindle read for 99 cents!  How I love a bargain that turns out to be a so rewarding;  I look forward to the next in the series.

Background on Sir Robert Carey--
The real Robert Carey was the son of Lord Hunsdon, Henry VIII's illegitimate son by Mary Boleyn.  Lord Hunsdon was also Queen Elizabeth's Lord Chamberlain (and half-brother) and patron to Shakespeare.  Obviously, Robert Carey had some interesting DNA to draw from, and he had an interesting life as a dandified courtier in Elizabeth's court.  Then, for whatever reason, he decided to switch to soldiering, and he accepted the position of Deputy Warden of the English West March.  Quite a switch, that.  From courtier to sheriff/marshall of the wildest part of the kingdom in the West March where murders, horse thieves, and outlaws abounded.

Evidently a charming and cheerful man, his memoirs are lively and entertaining, and Chisholm says that she lifted him "practically undiluted from his own writings." 

Information about the West Marches can be found here. 

 P.F. Chisholm is a pseudonym of a well-known writer of historical thrillers, childrens’ books, and nonfiction blogs and ebooks. Previous titles in the Sir Robert Carey and Sergeant Dodd series are A Famine of Horses, A Season of Knives, A Surfeit of Guns, A Plague of Angels, and A Murder of Crows. After the events in An Air of Treason, Sir Robert and Sergeant Dodd will be heading back to the Anglo- Scottish Border where trouble is brewing as usual.  (from Poisoned Pen Press)

Read in March.

Elizabethan mystery.  1999/2012.  Print version:  288 pages.

Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Grumbles from the Forest features poems by Jane Yolen and Rebecca Kai Dotlich, with lovely illustrations by Matt Mahurin.  

Fairy tales and poetry, a perfect mix.  Yolen and Dotlich give voice to the many inhabitants of fairy tales: prince or princess, fairy or witch, the gentle, the jealous, the greedy, to the major characters and to the minor characters whose opinions we rarely consider.

As an example, the following two are from the tale of Sleeping Beauty;  the first the lament of the wicked fairy, the second the (ahem) omniscient voice of reason:




Words of the Wicked Fairy

Beauty wakes!
My fun is through.
What's a wicked fairy to do?

I blame myself.
This didn't go well.
Big mistake.
Wrong spell.

I should have given her 
crooked ears,
a runny nose,
chapped lips.
Should've read 
that page on TIPS.

Spell's over.
Imagine this!
All because of a stupid kiss.

-Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Beauty Sleep

Wake up, princess, time to rise.
Open up your dreamy eyes.
Never mind the prince or kiss.
By no means were you raised for this.
Take the plot back from the witch.
Kick her spindle in the ditch!

-Jane Yolen


I liked that there were so many different voices imagined to tell the tales from unique points of view, but the quality of the poems varies.  Some of these poems are very good; some are less so;  all of the illustrations are beautiful.

While I wasn't as delighted with all of the poems as I'd hoped to be, I'll hold final judgement until after the grands give an opinion.  I'm not sure that the book quite knows its target audience.  

Another one for the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

Fairy Tale/Poetry.  2013.   40 pages.

The Flinck Connection (Book 4) by Estelle Ryan

The Flinck Connection   

Govert Flinck (1615-1660) was a Dutch painter during the Dutch Golden Age, and one of his paintings plays a part the latest Genevieve Lenard novel.

I've read all of this series whose titles always include the name of an artist.  Genevieve works for an insurance company in France that insures great art and so far, this has meant 4 mysteries connected with stolen paintings.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist in 1990 has made its way into several novels I've read.  In this one, Genevieve and her team determine who organized and carried out the heist--oh, if only!

You can find out more about the actual theft and see all the stolen paintings  (my favorites are the Vermeer, the Rembrandt, and the Manet)  on the Isabella Gardner Museum site .  

The reward-- "$5 million for information leading to the recovery of these works in good condition and, with the FBI and US Attorney, can ensure complete confidentiality.

I still enjoy all of the characters that populate this series, but the first one is the best.     

read in March

Mystery.  2014.  Print version:  359 pages.

Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

Sunbolt is the second book I've read by Intisar Khanani.  When I finished Thorn, I was so impressed, I couldn't wait to try another of her books.  

As much as I enjoyed Thorn, I found myself liking Sunbolt even more, with the caveat that I was disappointed to discover that I have to wait for the next book in the Sunbolt Chronicles.  

Both of these books would be wonderful for Carl's Once Upon a Time Challenge, but I read them both before this year's challenge began.  

Hitomi is a young orphan who must conceal her magical talents and her role in The Shadow League, a resistance group in Karolene.  The leader of the Shadow League is called Ghost, and during the effort to help a targeted political family to escape, the only way to keep Ghost from being captured involves Hitomi allowing herself to be captured instead.

She and the family members that survived are held in Blackflame's cages.  Without giving away the details, Hitomi manages to escape, only to be recaptured...and out of the frying pan, into the fire.  

While some details follow the YA fantasy formula, this story has several unique characters and superb writing.  

What a thrilling YA fantasy this was, but as other readers noted, it is too short.  Khanani yanks you into Hitomi's world, keeps you breathless through her adventures, then leaves us eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Read in March.

YA/Fantasy.  2013.  Novella (I know, I'm not crazy about novellas, but I didn't realize it going in, and Sunbolt is so good, I'm making an exception.)

  

And Two More Medieval Mysteries

The King's Hounds by Martin Jensen, translation by Tara Chace.

This is an earlier period than most medieval mysteries I've read.  Set in 1018,  Cnut of Denmark (Cnut or Canute the Great was king of Denmark, England, Norway, and parts of Sweden) defeated Ethelred the Unready and married his widow, but though England is unified, it is still unsettled.

Halfdan, who is half Danish, half Saxon, is now a pauper since his father fought on the wrong side of the war.  He roams the country, stealing what he needs to survive and sleeping with any pretty and willing young woman he meets.

Winston is a respected illuminator on his way to a new commission when set upon by bandits.  Halfdan, who was actually going to try much the same thing, defeats the bandits and joins up with Winston.

A murder that coincides with their arrival in court results in Cnut deciding to charge the pair with solving the murder, which could prove politically explosive and derail Cnut's attempt to collect Danegeld and establish better relations between conquered and conquerors.

I liked the humor found in this novel as well as the historical background.  My main complaint is the modern phrases that are included.  These are probably the fault of the translator, but they are jarring. 

Overall, I liked the characters and the novel and will probably read more by Jensen.

Medieval Mystery.  2013 (not sure of original publ. date in Denmark).  Print version:  274 pages. 

Winter Heart by Margaret Frazer is set in the 15th century and features Sister (now Domina) Frevisse as the sleuth.

Frevisse must try to discover the circumstances behind a murder in order to save the life of a man she suspects to be innocent.

I didn't realize it was a novella when I ordered it, and I'm not fond of novellas.  Nevertheless,  Sister Frevisse is an interesting and capable protagonist who solves the murder by using the tried and true cui bono method.

Medieval Mystery.  2011.  Print version:  52 pages.


Both novels read in March.

Two Very Good YA Novels

Crossing  by Andrew Xia Fukuda 

 I'm really unsure of what to say about this YA novel.  I was mesmerized throughout, then when it was over, stunned.

Fukuda examines the immigrant experience through the voice of Xing, a high school student who wants to be called Chris.  He feels alienated from his peers, retains some guilt about his father's death, and feels a subdued anger toward his mostly absent mother, who must work more than one job to support them.  His best friend is Naomi Lee, another Chinese immigrant, but one who has managed to "belong" in spite of her Chinese appearance.    

When students at Xing's high school begin to disappear, the suspense mounts.

Original.  Ambiguous.  Intriguing.  

Read in March.

NetGalley

YA/Suspense.  2010.  Print version:  255 pages.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox  by Mary E. Pearson

Who is Jenna Fox?  Well, that is exactly what Jenna Fox wants to know.  When Jenna Fox awakens from a coma, a year after an accident, she has no memory of her former life.  Her adoring parents, however, had plenty of home movies, and Jenna watches them, trying to recover the missing years of her life.  She recognizes herself, and occasionally remembers a few details, but still feels emotionally removed from the girl in the home movies.

As some memories are recovered, they seem to create more questions.  Her parents are not entirely forthcoming with answers, however, especially about the accident that put Jenna in the coma in the first place.  

What I liked:  I liked Jenna's efforts to recover her memories, and her self-questioning about who Jenna Fox really is.  How important are memories?  Is she the same person she was before the accident...or without her memories of her previous life, is she a blank slate to be created through what she experiences in the present.  I like the way Pearson builds the story and the way Jenna resorts to a dictionary to recover the meanings of words.  I like some of the bigger questions about what is necessary to be human, and in the case of one character, what is lacking.  I liked Lila, the initially stand-offish grandmother.

I liked a lot about this YA novel.  The only thing that truly bothered me on finishing the book has to do with a feeling of incompleteness about the conclusion.  There have been follow-up books that I hope (eventually) to pursue, but the conclusion to this book seemed a bit abrupt.

Read in March.

YA/Science Fiction.  reprint 2010.  Print version 288 pages.

Both of these books are thought-provoking and raise as many questions as they answer.

In the Mail

Some of the ARCs that have arrived in the mail in the last several weeks.

The Hurlburly's Husband by Jean Teule (trans. by Alison Anderson) is described as "'Bawdy romp one minute, a gruesome tragedy the next. The writing is beautiful, witty, grisly and moving.' Sunday Telegraph 'If you liked The Other Boleyn Girl then this book is certainly one to adore.' "  
From Gallic Books.

Acts of God by Ellen Gilchrist: "In Acts of God, master short story writer Ellen Gilchrist has crafted a collection that takes us into eleven scenarios in which people dealing with forces beyond their control somehow manage to survive, persevere, and even triumph."

A Dangerous Age by Gilchrist:  "A Dangerous Age tells the story of the women of the Hand family, three cousins in a Southern dynasty rich with history and tradition who are no strangers to either controversy or sadness. By turns humorous and heartbreaking, the novel is a celebration of the strength of these women, and of others like them. In her characteristically clear and direct prose, with its wry, no-nonsense approach to the world and the people who inhabit it, Gilchrist gives voice to women on a collision course with a distant war that, in truth, is never more than a breath away."
From Algonquin Books.

My friend Suzie is a devoted reader of Gilchrist, so these will probably go to New Orleans when I finish with them.

The Man with the Lead Stomach by Jean Francois Parot: This is the second volume of the Nicolas Le Floch Investigations.  
From Gallic Books.

 I read the first book in the series last year and found the writing a bit stilted, but this book has a different translator, so I'm eager to see if there is any difference in style.

My Accidental Jihad by Krista Bremer:  "A moving, lyrical memoir about how an American essayist fell in love with a Libyan-born Muslim man and learned to embrace the life she made with him."  From Algonquin Books.

I tried the last two (The Face Transplant and Will Shakespeare and the Ships of Solomon) when they arrived and both can be cast aside after only a few pages.  

The Dirty Book Murder: An Antiquarian Book Mystery by Thomas Shawver

The Dirty Book Murder    

Not your typical dirty books, but books of erotica that any antiquarian bookseller would covet come up for auction.  Michael Bevin discovers exquisite Japanese scrolls in the lot, then Gareth Hughes, a fellow dealer, points out a first-edition by Colette with an inscription by Hemingway.  What a magnificent haul.  Bevin and Hughes are then surprised when a third bidder upsets their plans.  And then a fourth.  The price goes up beyond the means of Bevin and Hughes.  

Before the winning dealer can collect the books, Hughes covertly pockets the Colette.  Big mistake.

The first in a projected series featuring Michael Bevin, The Dirty Book Murder has a surplus of eccentric characters.  Unfortunately, one of the most interesting is Gareth Hughes, who is murdered.   Bevin becomes a person of interest because of a public argument and finds himself caught up in trying to determine who really killed Hughes.

I wish Shawver had kept Hughes around for future books, but be that as it may, there are plenty of other strange suspects to consider.

I liked the premise and the odd assortment of characters, but was much less interested in Bevin's relationship with his daughter.  The plot got a little wild at the end, but overall it was an interesting mystery about a subject that I enjoy.  

Read in January.   Post scheduled for April 14, 2014.

NetGalley/Random House/Alibi

Mystery.  May 6, 2014.  

Bred in the Bone by Christopher Brookmyre

Bred in the Bone is an intense police procedural that is complex, intelligent, puzzling, and riveting.

Part of a series featuring private investigator Jasmine Sharp and Detective Superintendent Catherine McLeod, Bred in the Bone functions as a stand-alone, but makes me want to read the previous books for some back story.

The story is revealed in alternating chapters about Jasmine Sharp, Catherine McLeod, and a young girl whose name is not given.  "Past is prologue" to current events.

Information is divulged little by little, keeping the reader in suspense and continuous speculation.  This is so skillfully done that you feel as if you are the fly on the wall, observing behaviors and conversations, accumulating information.  It isn't so much the use of red herrings, as the lack of information or awareness required to fully evaluate.  You get the knowledge when the characters do, and  you have more than one character to rely on, yet solving this mystery necessitates following the pace set by the author until the conclusion.

The beginning is a bit slow, but once the initial chapter is out of the way, the novel moves quickly from one character to another as both Catherine McLeod and Jasmine Sharp investigate the murder for different reasons.  

Setting is uniquely important in some novels, and the Glasgow underworld is essential to the success of Bred in the Bone.  Brookmyre's Glasgow is dark enough, but not as dark as Denise Mina's Glasgow.  Brookmyre manages to present the sinister world of Glasgow's criminal society with enough detail to make it abhorrent, but he is also able to put human faces on even the villains.  

While it is apparent that some of the characters and situations have been introduced in the previous novels, the author provides enough information for clarity in subtle ways, avoiding long information dumps.  A skillful writer, Mr. Brookmyre leads without condescension--keeping the reader guessing, putting together facts and circumstances, and "participating" in the situations is no minor feat.  

The novel has side stories that must unite for a clear picture, but the author deftly steers the reader through the details, hints, and innuendos.

Highly recommended.

Read in November, 2013.  Blog post scheduled for May 14, 2014.

NetGalley/Grove Atlantic

Crime/Police Procedural.  May, 2014.  Print version:  416 pages. 

Far Gone by Laura Griffin.      

Detective Andrea Finch was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  When a teenage assailant pulls a gun in a restaurant and threatens his girlfriend and possibly anyone else he can,  Finch shoots him.  She is now on leave and her job in jeopardy.

If things aren't bad enough she is afraid her younger brother is in some serious trouble.  At least she has plenty of time to investigate this situation.

There is a romantic interest that develops between Finch and an undercover FBI agent who is interested in what her brother is up to, as well.   I didn't find either the romance or the plot terribly interesting.

NetGalley/ Gallery Books

Crime.  April 15, 2014.   Print version:  384 pages.