REPORT FOR MURDER - Val McDermid

First line: "Lindsay Gordon put murder to the back of her mind and settled down in the train compartment to enjoy the broken greys and greens of the Derbyshire scenery."

In Val McDermid’s first book of her Lindsay Gordon series, the journalist is covering a fundraising event at a private girl’s school. The fundraiser features two alumni who have become successful through their arts: Cordelia Brown as a novelist and Lorna Smith-Couper as a cellist. When Lorna Smith-Couper is found dead just before her performance, the suspects begin piling up. From students to teachers to parents, seems everyone has a motive to kill the musician.

McDermid creates a wonderful puzzle mystery in REPORT FOR MURDER. She winds the plot around so that all the suspects seem plausible. She’s chosen a setting that allows her to pull in themes of class, politics and ambition. But they are subtly integrated and underlie the main story line.

Her characters are well developed and real. Characters who are smart but still do dumb things. Characters who are shaped by the nature of their environments. Characters who make bad choices with good intentions, regardless of their ages or educations.

REPORT FOR MURDER is a lighter novel from McDermid’s bibliography. Readers who favor the traditional mystery will appreciate the complexity with less of the graphic elements. All readers will appreciate the careful balance of plot and character combined with McDermid’s wit. A very enjoyable read.

REPORT FOR MURDER was originally published in the U.S. by St. Martin's Press in 1990. It is presently available in paperback from Bywater Books (ISBN: 978-1932859065)

MURDER IN THE ABSTRACT - Susan Shea

First Line: "I was hiding in the third floor ladies' room when my cell phone began to jangle."

Dani O'Rourke is in the midst of a large fundraiser for the Devor Art Museum, a fundraiser she is in charge of, when she is summoned to her office where her ex-boyfriend, an up-and-coming artist, had been thrown out the window to his death. As the police begin to investigate, it quickly becomes clear that Dani is among the suspects in the investigation due in large part to a letter sent to the deceased. The letter says it is from Dani, but she didn't write it. Dani refuses to sit back and be framed for a murder she didn't commit. The only question is, who would have motive to kill this man?

MURDER IN THE ABSTRACT is Susan Shea's debut novel. It's a light, fun who-dunnit; perfect for the beach or park or front porch.

Dani O'Rourke is an enjoyable protagonist. She's smart and funny. A respected executive for the art museum who obsesses over fashion and has her eye on the investigating police detective. Her ex-husband Dickie Argetter III is a humorous ladies man who still has a flame burning for Dani.

The plot itself offers up an interesting peek at the art world and how all its various players fit into the fabric.

Fans of Jane Cleland's Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series will likely enjoy MURDER IN THE ABSTRACT with its smart and savvy, light-hearted plot, compelling characters and authentic backdrop.  

MURDER IN THE ABSTRACT is available June 24th in hardcover (ISBN 978-0-8034-7768-1) from Avalon Books.

Technorati Tags: Susan Shea, cozy mystery, book review

A BOLT FROM THE BLUE - Diane A.S. Stuckart

FIRST LINE: "Bright brown eyes peered over the edge of my notebook, the unexpected sight distracting me from the portrait in which I had been engrossed."

Dino, a.k.a. Delfina della Fazia, is called on by his Master, Leonardo da Vinci, to assist in the building of his flying machine. Relations among the city-states of Italy are volatile and the Duke of Milan wants to make the concept of the flying machine a reality so he can take control of the skies to have the advantage over his adversaries. Leonardo also hires a master carpenter to consult help with the development; he hires Dino's father. 

They have hardly begun their work when another apprentice to Leonardo is murdered. The clues quickly indicate that the murder is tied to the flying machine. Before the murderer can be discovered, the flying machine and Dino's father disappear. Dino must race against time to find his father and recover the flying machine. If it finds its way into the wrong hands, it could have dire consequences for all of Milan.

A BOLT FROM THE BLUE is Diane Stuckart's third book in the Leonardo da Vinci Mystery series. As with the previous two, it is a quick, light, enjoyable read. Delfina continues to develop as a character, and the inclusion of her father is a nice addition to the series. Leonardo remains an important character but keeps more to the background in this tale. What is brought to the forefront again is his exceptional intelligence. While Leonardo's apprentices study painting skills under him, this chapter in the saga focuses on da Vinci's engineering skills and of course the concept of his flying apparatus. Stuckart does a superb job throughout this series of reminding readers that da Vinci was indeed a Renaissance man.

Stuckart develops the time period, the setting, and the political unrest without bogging down the reader. The sum of all the story's elements bring Leonardo da Vinci's Italy to life. 

While A BOLT FROM THE BLUE came out earlier this year, when snow was still plaguing my neck of the woods, it will make a great beach read for cozy lovers. Some references are made to the first two books in this series, but BOLT can easily be read and fully appreciated without prior knowledge of those books.

A BOLT FROM THE BLUE is available now from Berkley Publishing Group (ISBN: 978-0-425-23217-0) in trade paper.

Technorati Tags: book review, Diane Stuckart, cozy mystery

PRETTY IN INK - Karen Olson

FIRST LINE: "If your name is Britney Brassieres, being taken down by a tsunami of champagne might seem only fitting."

Tattoo artist Brett Kavanaugh and team ink a group of drag queens, which is how they end up front and center for Britney Brassieres' stage show on opening night. The real show turns out to be a champagne attack on Britney who is shot with the cork from the champagne bottle in the middle of her act. Britney survives the cork assault, but when she and another drag queen are dead days later and Brett's intern is on the run, Brett is following the only clue she has, a queen of hearts tattoo. Brett quickly finds herself in hot water, alongside her business competition, Jeff Coleman, and her only way out is to find the man with that queen of hearts tattoo.

PRETTY IN INK is the follow-up to Olson's THE MISSING INK that I reviewed here last July, and Olson hasn't dropped a stroke with this series. PRETTY IN INK is as fun and entertaining as its predecessor. The eclectic mix of characters on the case in Sin City makes for sharp humor and exciting action scenes. Olson adds substantially to her cast with the drag queens. Her knack for giving the characters dimension seems especially acute with these men dressed as women. Each queen is unique and special. Olson crafts her characters in such a way that the reader can connect with them individually instead of seeing them as part of a stereotypical group. That is definitely one of the elements I enjoy most about this series.

I also really enjoy how she brings Las Vegas to life:

"I took the Strip rather than the back roads, because I knew the lights would keep me alert. The reflections of the neon flashed across my windshield, and I was reminded how someone once said that every movie and TV show filmed in Vegas had at least one scene with a car driving down the Strip, the lights cutting across the windows.

I was such a cliché."

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but the dashing cover seems to reflect the brilliance of Vegas as well as the artistic angle of the characters: the custom tattoos, including Brett's reproduction of Monet's water lilies and Jeff's Day of the Dead, and the flamboyant make-up and clothing of the drag queens. Olson's writing style is one that paints broad strokes of life on her paper canvas.

The final element that should definitely not go unnoticed is Olson's dialogue. The voice of each unique character takes on a life of its own, from the fearless Bitsy to the uber-macho Jeff to the arrogant detective, DeBurra. The dialogue flows naturally. I especially appreciate the way Brett's spunk and humor takes shape through her conversations:

"'You're with Homeland Security; don't you know where everyone is at all times?" I asked, my exhaustion turning into sarcasm.

He sighed dramatically. 'That's what Miss Hendricks said, too. Do you have employee training in how to respond to a police officer's questions?'

'How did you guess?'"

The Tattoo Shop Mystery series is one I look forward to. PRETTY IN INK did not disappoint as Olson's sophomore addition to the series, and I look forward to book number three, DRIVEN TO INK, coming later this fall.

PRETTY IN INK is available from Obsidian in mass market paperback (ISBN: 978-0-451-22962-5).


Technorati Tags: book review, Karen Olson, crime fiction, cozy mystery

OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION - Nancy Martin

Roxy Abruzzo is working in the architectural-salvage business, salvaging items from the burned out remains of Julius Hyde’s home when she spies a statue in the yard. Roxy removes the statue from the property without anyone’s knowledge or consent. It probably wouldn’t have become a huge issue except for the fact that Julius Hyde ends up murdered and suddenly everyone’s on the trail of Hyde’s murderer and that statue.

OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION is Nancy Martin’s first book in her new series. This is a cute novel full of quirky characters. Roxy’s desperate attempts to stay away from her crime boss uncle’s “business” seem to be thwarted at every turn. At the core of her character, she wants to do the right thing, but sometimes the wrong thing will provide the funds to do the right thing and ethical dilemmas ensue.

Roxy’s eccentric Aunt Loretta, her employee Nooch, and her teen-age daughter Sage contribute to the various layers of the plot, but they also work to add dimension to Roxy’s unique character. Martin also gives ample development to the rich Hyde family: the matriarch on her death bed, the greedy corporate son, the spoiled youngest son, the evil daughter-in-law, and the drug addicted granddaughter. A dynamic cast of characters.

OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION has humor, drama, conniving and crime. You won’t be at a loss for entertainment with this new series.


Think OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION is a book you'd like to check out? Well, it just so happens that I have a copy to give away. So, if you'd like a chance to win this one, complete the form below. Unfortunately I have to restrict this contest to folks with a U.S. mailing address. I'll take entries through Monday, March 22 and draw a winner on the 23rd. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments or email me. Good luck!

Killer Keepsakes - Jane Cleland

Josie Prescott returns in the fourth Antiques Mystery by Jane Cleland, Killer Keepsakes. This time an unidentified man shows up in Josie's assistant's apartment. But Josie's assistant, Gretchen is no where to be found. As Gretchen's mysterious past begins to unfold, Josie searches diligently to find Gretchen and bring her home.

As I've mentioned with the other Antiques Mysteries in this series, Josie is a wonderful character. She's so well developed that I can see us sharing tea or gauvatinis; I keep hoping she'll move out of New Hampshire and come buy the house across the street from me. One of the elements of her character that stands out especially prominent in this book is her caretaker tendencies, her motherly tendencies. And just as a mother will do anything for her child, so Josie will do for those who are near and dear to her. Unconditionally. In this short excerpt, the reader can catch a glimpse of the motherly nature in her character:

Mandy was such a sweet girl, spiraling down instead of rising up. Part of me wanted to shake her and ask if she couldn't see how bad Vince was for her. The rest of me wanted to hug her and wish her luck.

Josie is simply one of those people who sees the good in others. She isn't oblivious to the bad, but she also doesn't harp on insignificant things. If you've earned her friendship, she'd go to the ends of the Earth for you. Don't we all know folks like that? They're usually the folks we cherish most in our circles of friends.

On the flip side, Cleland can create an antagonist to make your skin crawl. Vince does just that. He's not an extraordinary villain; he's the bad guy we see too often in too many lives. And that is precisely what makes Cleland's characters come alive for me, the fact that I am able to visualize them in my own life. None of them have super powers - they can't stop speeding bullets with their over-developed pectorals - instead they possess characteristics like you and I. They could be devoted or obsessive or self-conscious or intelligent. Those characteristics make them palpable; they make them real.

Cleland's characters are realistic in another element as well. They help solve the mysteries using the talents God and education gave them, not amazing talents they magically develop in 15 chapters. Josie and team do not outsmart the police. Instead they work in tandem with the police AND the journalists. Everyone does what they do best. How refreshing not to have an incompetent, idiot police force!

But character isn't the only element of this novel that shines. The plot is outstanding. Every time I would think I had outsmarted Cleland and knew how the conclusion would play out, Josie would discover something that nipped my idea right in the bud. The nipping usually ended up happening on the very next page even. And when those discoveries were taking place, they were adding layers to the mystery, complexity to the plot. When some books attempt to do this the result is overbearing. The reader thinks, "good lord, what more can this poor character have to endure." But Killer Keepsakes builds complexity that pulls the reader further into the plot and the lives of the characters.

As I've come to expect from Cleland, the writing in Killer Keepsakes breathes life into the plot, the setting, the characters. Sometimes it even steals color right out of a character's cheeks: "She looked petrified, as if she were losing ground in a race against the devil." And Cleland doesn't need to be verbose, in a simple sentence like "I was in-my-bones upset" the message comes across loud and clear.

For a couple of days I stepped into Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and wrapped myself in the mystery of Gretchen's disappearance. It was time very well spent with friends I adore. Again, I begrudgingly waved good-bye as the wind chimes on Prescott's door bid me a fond farewell, and I found myself hoping it wouldn't be my final visit.

Killer Keepsakes is available in bookstores today.

The Big Dirt Nap - Rosemary Harris

The Big Dirt Nap is the second book in Rosemary Harris' "A Dirty Business Mystery" series. Paula Holliday is a landscaper/gardener, a woman with a love for plants. So when her friend Lucy tempts her out to a swanky resort for some relaxation and a look at their rare corpse flower, Paula agrees.

While Paula is waiting in the hotel bar for Lucy to arrive, a handsome man with terrible pick-up lines starts putting the moves on her. She chats with him long enough to find out he can connect her with the hotel owners, who she wants to speak with about the corpse flower. So, Paula (dun-da-dun-dun) gives him her business card. When he winds up dead in an alley that night, the police come calling on Paula because the human corpse has her card in his pocket. And that's when the fun begins.

And fun this book is! Paula is a character with sass and spunk. Her sarcastic wit makes for many humorous situations even though most times she's just pointing out the everyday obvious. I enjoy when people can find the humor in those little facets of life. But, Paula unwittingly finds herself in some rather unique situations as well. And from the outsider's view, they're funny, but I sure wouldn't want to be the one encountering a black bear:

When you're hiking in black bear country and confront a bear, half the guidebooks tell you to drop into a fetal position and cover your head. The other half tell you to wave your arms like a lunatic and make noise...What the guidebooks never tell you to do is throw a Zone bar and a cell phone at the bear, but that's what I did. It wasn't intentional, it was a reflex - they just flew out of my hands. I remember the part about making noise and reached into the Jeep, grabbing two hand weeders and furiously clanking the tines together. Then I thought, Just get in the freaking car!...The black bear is generally harmless and would really prefer eating berries or garbage to human flesh, but when you're on foot and so is he - despite the fact that it's a different animal and you're on a different continent - visions of King Kong pop into your head and that, inevitably, makes you the screaming, writhing Fay Wray.

As absolutely absurd as that whole scene sounds, I can totally see myself doing the same thing! I probably wouldn't be so lucky to have hand weeders in my car, but still, when you have the bejeebers frightened out of you, you see everything in complete distortion. Paula isn't one of the senseless amateur sleuths that so commonly inhabit cozy mysteries. She's a smart cookie who ends up in odd predicaments.

And Paula's supporting cast are equally dynamic. Babe is the former rock and roller turned restaurant owner who has a rather maternal quality to her. Sam is a former shoe factory owner who lost his business and became homeless. Lucy does a great job of filling the ditzy roll. She isn't over the top, but she's just goofy enough to make a perfect foil for Paula.

The great cast is combined with a solid plot; the reader can't help but keep turning the pages, partly to find the solution to the mystery but also to discover what new adventure Paula finds herself in. The poor woman just wants to get some sleep.

The Big Dirt Nap is a quick, fun, thoroughly entertaining novel. When you're ready for a serving of laughs with your who-done-it, I recommend you pick up a copy.

Happy Reading!

Antiques to Die For - Jane Cleland

In the third book of the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series, Josie's friend Rosalie is found murdered. Rosalie leaves behind her 12-year-old sister Paige who Rosalie was raising after the death of their parents. Paige informs Josie that Rosalie told her they owned something valuable, but Rosalie didn't specify what it was or where it was. So Paige enlists Josie to inventory and appraise all of Rosalie's property in hopes of finding the valuable item.

Along the way in her appraisal process, Josie begins to uncover clues about Rosalie's life that may be clues to her killer. The likelihood that they are clues to her killer increases when Josie notices someone following her, then someone is leaving her flowers signed "from your secret admirer" and making harassing phone calls. If Josie doesn't uncover the truth, she may become the murderer's next victim.

The Josie Prescott books for me are the types of books that make magic happen with time. I'm sure you've all experienced one of these: you start reading and time just disappears. When you look up from the book, hours have gone by. You don't notice they've gone by because you've become so much a part of the book. I can tell you that one of the major ingredients in the magic potion is the characters. I love Cleland's characters. None of her characters come across as fake or flat or forced. From the shy, modest Eric to the bubbly Gretchen to the heartbroke, adolescent Paige, even the arrogant, womanizing Gerry. Cleland seems to be inside all of these characters' minds because their portrayals in her books are so spot on. I've known people like each of these characters and I had no problem believing any of their actions, thoughts, or dialogue. The characters are so dimensional, so real, that you expect them to pass you on the street, sit next to you on the bus, or stand in line in front of you at the grocery store. When you combine their realism with the relationships Cleland forms between each of them you have the recipe for that magic, the magic that makes time disappear.

Antiques to Die For has this magic in spades. I found myself especially appreciating the relationship Cleland sparked between Josie and Paige. Cleland has a way of developing her female characters so that they can be strong, determined woman but maintain their soft, emotional sides, too. And they don't become damsels in distress or bumbling broads. Instead they are real: feminine, intelligent, independent. And when they need to lean on their friends and family, they do so without shame.

Cleland has a subplot going on in this novel that lesser authors would wind up mis-using, but Cleland is able to weave it in just enough to make it part of the mystery and therefore an asset to the plot.

It is truly disappointing for me to reach the end of a Prescott tale. It's kind of like having to say good-bye after visiting a good friend. This visit wasn't so sad, though, because my next visit is right around the corner. I'm looking forward to Josie Prescott mystery number four, Killer Keepsakes.

A Real Basket Case - Beth Groundwater

A Real Basket Case is Beth Groundwater's debut novel. In this Agatha-nominated cozy mystery, Claire Hanover fights to prove her husband Roger is innocent of murdering Claire's fitness instructor, Enrique.

Roger has been spending far more hours with his job than with his wife, so when Claire's friend Ellen buys her a massage with Enrique, she reluctantly agrees. However, when Enrique is shot in the midst of this massage and Ellen looks up to see Roger standing in the doorway with the murder weapon in his hand, the evidence against him is damning. Claire is convinced that someone set Roger up and she's going to prove who that person is and win Roger's trust back.

A Real Basket Case is a light, quick, enjoyable read. But don't try to read it too quickly or you'll miss the creative subtleties woven throughout the plot.

Groundwater has a firm grasp on how to use the English language to create effect. At the onset of the novel, Claire is talking on the phone and watching a group of rock climbers. When one of the climbers falls,

"...he swung back and forth until he could scrabble a handhold. He pulled himself to the rock, found footholds, and clung to the cliff like a squashed spider, his chest heaving."

Not only does this passage contain the vivid imagery of the squashed spider and the sharp contrast of that spider to the heaving chest, but it also works with the rest of the rock-climbing event to build up an analogy with Claire, her friends, and the events that will make up the plot of this novel. So we see some foreshadowing happening as well. Just one example of how Groundwater's concise style can pack a powerful punch.

The humor in this book is also very subtle. Numerous times I was reading along, caught up in the plot when I had to halt because I realized, "hey! That was funny." Claire's character plays right into this effect. Her good intentions in preposterous situations just result in humorous outcomes. Her interactions with Leon, the ethical drug kingpin, are prime examples of this. The paradox of his "ethics" and her naivete makes the absurd seem completely natural.

The only qualm I had with Claire was her inability - or unwillingness? - to stand up to her husband. She stands up the cops, to drug pushers, to her friends. But she just let her husband blame her for his entire predicament and she accepted the blame. I was really cheering for her to give him "what for" just once. But, building self-confidence comes in small steps. She built her confidence to fight for her family in this step. I'll be looking forward to see what steps she makes as the "Basket Mysteries" continue.