THROUGH THE EVIL DAYS - Julia Spencer-Fleming

My review of Through the Evil Days first appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers. It is appearing here today with their permission.

First line: "The dog's barking woke Mikayla up."

Russ van Alstyne and Clare Fergusson return in Julia Spencer-Fleming’s eighth installment of her series set in the fictional town of Millers Kill, New York.

Newly married, with an unplanned baby on the way, van Alstyne and Fergusson are headed out to a secluded cabin for a belated honeymoon. The setting is sufficient foreshadowing to know mayhem will ensue, but Spencer-Fleming adds a horrific ice storm to the mix, knocking out most all lines of communication.

Meanwhile, the Millers Kill Police Department, sans its chief, is trying to locate a young, liver transplant recipient kidnapped and in need of regular medications. In Millers Kill situations are rarely run of the mill so stakes are high, suspense is intense and momentum swift.

Series devotees are less likely to be returning to Millers Kill for the suspense and momentum, however. As the characters have evolved, they’ve developed intricate, rich relationships, making their day-to-day interactions as riveting as a kidnapping in the midst of an ice storm. The two main protagonists may be the marquee names, but Spencer-Fleming has created an entire town readers return for. Those starting with Through the Evil Days will be able to grasp the plot but are likely to miss the significance of these complex relationships.

Series devotees will also be familiar with Spencer-Fleming’s penchant for cliff-hanger endings that keep the suspense high to the final sentence.

Through the Evil Days lives up to the standard of this beloved series and is a welcome, albeit dangerous, trip back to Millers Kill.

Enjoy an audio excerpt from the unabridged Macmillan Audio version:


Through the Evil Days is available in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0312606848) from Minotaur. An unabridged audiobook version (ISBN: 978-1427231048), narrated by Suzanne Toren is available from Macmillan Audio.

Five on Friday Returns - Julia Spencer-Fleming

We had a bit of a hiatus for Five on Friday, but as promised it is back! First a few things to mention.

Coming up in November is Murder and Mayhem in Muskego. As most of you know, I'll be interviewing Gregg Hurwitz on Saturday. But also on Friday night, I'll be the moderator/game show host of the Friday night panel. Last year's Friday night panel was well received and quite popular, so we have to try to measure up. I think we're up to the task, though. So, if you're in the Milwaukee, WI area (or even if you're not), I hope you'll come out and enjoy the fun!

Second, I have some contest winners to announce. The winners of Mark Sullivan's ROGUE are Jennifer P (who doesn't live far from me...hi Jennifer!) and Lynnette B. I'll be getting their books out in the mail ASAP.

I still have the final Bouchercon post coming up. I'm sorry for the delay. I promise it will be up next week plus a contest to win some loot from the conference, but I thought you'd prefer a new Five on Friday for today! And before I get to it, some contests to check out:

Criminal Element has a slew of contests to check out, including a Bouchercon Bundle. So be sure to check that out.

The folks at FridayReads have THEN WE TAKE BERLIN by John Lawton to give away this week.

And finally, in celebration of their anniversary, Kirkus has this pretty amazing contest going on. If you win, would you take me along?

O.k. now on to the good stuff! I only discovered Julia Spencer-Fleming's fabulous Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series a couple years ago, but she's been writing them since 2003 when In the Bleak Midwinter kicked off the series and took home almost every award possible. Next month the eighth book in the series, Through the Evil Days, picks up where Clare and Russ left off. I know a lot of fans of this series--including me--are anxious to see what's next for them.

Before that happens, Julia took time out to sit in the Five on Friday hot seat. So please help me welcome the extremely talented, the wonderfully fun, the extraordinarily charming Julia Spencer-Fleming:

The porch might be falling off the house, but Julia has plenty to read!

A skill I’ve always wanted to have, but don’t is: Knitting. My grandmother, who was a marvelous knitter, gave me lessons, so at one point I was adept enough to make scarves. My knitting tour de force was an authentic Tom Baker Dr. Who scarf, which I made in college. However, I dropped the hobby after that triumph and now I can't even remember how to cast on. I know, I know, all I have to do is take a class, but who can fit it in? Besides, I suspect I would need someone sitting by my side correcting my stitches for the first month (or three.)

If I won the lottery tomorrow the first thing I’d do: Redo my house. Oh, okay, pay off the kids' college tuition, but then I'd redo the house. I live in an almost-200 year-old farmhouse in the Maine countryside, which means every year, guaranteed, there's some five or six dollar job that needs to be done. Re-roofing. Re-plumbing. Painting the siding. Meanwhile, I'm thumbing through shelter magazines and following decorating blogs, dreaming of granite countertops, subway-tiled bathrooms with great walk-in showers, and built-in bookcases. If only we could throw some of the maintenance money that way... and then my husband comes in and announces one of the porches is about to collapse.

My biggest pet peeve is: People who drive too slow. My planning-to-get-somewhere process goes like this: Google maps says it will take me 45 minutes to reach the library where I'm speaking today. But I drive fast, so I'll only need 35 minutes! Needless to say, this only works in practice if everyone on the road is also driving ten miles over the speed limit. I have been known to wish for a pair of rocket-propelled grenade launchers on the grill of my car.

If I had to be stranded on a desert island with only one other person: it would be Nathan Fillion and a 20 gallon barrel of sunscreen. I know what you're thinking, but it's okay. My husband already knows about my special relationship with Mr. Fillion.

The #1 item on my bucket list right now is: Going on a cruise. Not one of those huge-ship cruises where you contract typhoid and Legionnare's Disease and the stomach flu. I want to cruise on a tall ship/windjammer/Windstar ship, skimming across the blue under full sail, dining with a small group of other wind-powered afficianados. If Nathan Fillion is aboard, so much the better – we'll be prepared when we run aground on a desert isle. 

Julia will be on book tour for Through the Evil Days, so you should take a look at her schedule and meet up with her if you're able. I'm sure her events are at least as entertaining as her Five on Friday...most likely even more since they last longer! And regardless of whether you can make an event or not, you can catch Julia in the usual social places: Facebook and Twitter. You can also find her blogging at Jungle Red Writers.

As always, friends, thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of great books. Happy Reading!

The Year-End Meme

I completed this meme last year and wanted to kick off my year-end lists with it again this year. It may foreshadow the lists that will be coming throughout the next week or so but I think there will still be quite a few surprises for you to uncover in those lists.

1. Best Book of 2011 – Last year I had a tie in this one and while there are a lot of great, great books I read this year, one does stand out above the rest for me and that’s THE RIDGE. Michael Koryta has been a wonderful writer since his debut with TONIGHT I SAID GOODBYE, but THE RIDGE takes him to a whole new level of greatness.

2. Worst Book of 2011 – This year was a great, great year for reading but I also had quite a few books that I didn't review because they just hit all the wrong chords with me. And this year I believe I had more books that I simply didn't finish than ever before. It's hard for me to pick one that stands out, but these four were no-gos for me: THE WEIGHT (Andrew Vachss), LOVE ME TO DEATH (Allison Brennan), THIEVES GET RICH, SAINTS GET SHOT (Jodi Compton) and TABLOID CITY (Pete Hamill).

3. Most Disappointing Book of 2011 – DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X. I know a lot of people liked this and I was looking forward to it, but it just fell flat for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters and I'm actually surprised I finished the book at all.

4. Most surprising (in a good way) book of 2011 – I'm going to go with HOUSE DIVIDED by Mike Lawson here. I wasn't expecting it to be bad. I had no idea what to expect, so when it was so wonderful, I was very pleasantly surprised.

5. Book you recommended to people most in 2011 – I recommended YOU’RE NEXT, THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES and SATORI endlessly this year, so I’m not sure which of those was the most often.

6. Best series you discovered in 2011 – Phillip Brennan/Marina Esposito series from Tania Carver and the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alystyne series from Julia Spencer-Fleming.

7. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011 – Martyn Waites, Louis Bayard, Lesley Kagen, Will Lavender, Mike Lawson, Daniel Palmer, Todd Ritter, Ace Atkins - I read 50 new authors this year and it's wonderful that so many were this spectacular, but my must-read list is growing out of control!

8. Most hilarious read of 2011 – This category's a little more difficult for me because I don't read books that would be categorized as "comedy" but at the same time, one of the qualities I love about my favorite books are the humor that weaves its way in. But I think the book I enjoyed the most and that packed the most humor would be THE WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH! (Steve Hockensmith).

9. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011 –YOU’RE NEXT. This book is just WOW on every level imaginable. Even though I despise the word “unputdownable” I had a terrible time parting with YOU’RE NEXT and it was one of my very few single sitting reads this year.

10. Book you most anticipated in 2011 – This would be a toss up between LONG GONE, because I always anticipate a new Alafair Burke book, THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES because there was a bit of a lull between Marcus’ publications and A HARD DEATH because I've been waiting several years for the U.S. folks to publish Jonathan Hayes' second novel. Yay!

11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011 – I think I have to give this nod to THE RIDGE. All the jackets that Michael Koryta has had with Little, Brown have been wonderful, but this was my favorite. And I love the texture of it as well as the look of it.

12. Most memorable character in 2011 – I have to go back to Daniel in Robert Crais' THE SENTRY for this one. He is by far my favorite antagonist ever. I sure would like to see him come back maybe in a book of his own.

13. Most beautifully written book in 2011 – This one is so hard this year. SATORI was just incredibly written, CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER amazing, THE RIDGE left me breathless, THE HANGING TREE was stunning, A SIMPLE ACT OF VIOLENCE - I seriously think Roger can only write beautifully, it would be a challenge for him to write mediocre, and finally YOU'RE NEXT - I can't imagine not being struck to your soul by Gregg's amazing book.

14. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011 – This is definitely a tight race between THE RIDGE and YOU'RE NEXT. They impacted me in different ways but both tremendously so. These will both be books I'm recommending for years and years to come.

15. Book you can’t believe you waited until 2011 to finally read? – this one is easy for me again. THE ALIENIST. How far behind can I possibly be?

Bill Cameron - Crime Readers Caught Reading Crime...

...in an indie bookstore.

Today we have another crime writing Bill. This one is on the opposite side of the country from Bill Loehfelm. Bill Cameron, author of the Skin Kadash series, has a new book coming out soon. How does he have time to be reading in an indie store? Shouldn't he be out promoting or something? Just kidding. But not about the new book. Bill's next installment in the Skin Kadash series is COUNTY LINE and is out next month.

In the meantime we have this OUTSTANDING picture of him from Murder by the Book in Portland, Oregon.

Here I am at Murder by the Book, Portland, Oregon, reading One Was A Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming. Julia's work is always wonderful, but she's really outdone herself with this one. I was chatting with Jean, one of the owners of Murder by the Book, and we agreed One Was A Soldier is one of Julia's best. Thoughtful, engrossing from the first page, with layers upon layers of intrigue and humanity. I love it!

Murder by the Book is one of my all-time favorite bookstores. In the mystery community, we have been blessed with some truly amazing shops (including other great "Murder by the Books" in other cities). Portland's MBTB is run by some of the smartest, most fun, and funny women in the bookselling biz. They've taken great care of me during my still young career, and every other writer I know who's visited feels the same way. When you come to Portland, you have to include Murder by the Book in your itinerary.

I was just commenting the other day how much I've enjoyed this series because I've been able to discover so many new indie bookstores. The love everyone has shown them has been inspiring. Thanks so much to Bill for giving us a glimpse of Murder by the Book, Portland.

I think it's a great time to show your indie store how much you appreciate them. Go forth and find a new book, then Happy Reading!

Audiobook Thursday - Three for the Price of One

I mentioned on Tuesday when I reviewed Julia Spencer-Fleming's ONE WAS A SOLDIER that I had gone back to listen to some of the earlier books in the series. I finished books one through three and decided to talk about them altogether here for this week's audiobook Thursday since they all have the same narrator.

Book 1 in the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series is IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER:

First line: "It was one hell of a night to throw a baby away."

Julia Spencer-Fleming introduces her series with a baby left on the steps of the town Episcopal Church in the dead of winter, where the new priest, Clare Fergusson, finds it. A note is left with the baby instructing the baby be given to a couple in the parish to adopt. However, adoption laws aren't quite that easy and the police chief, Russ Van Alstyne has to investigate the baby's abandonment. When the baby's mother is found dead, the investigation intensifies. Meanwhile sparks are also starting to fly between the priest and the married police chief.

Book 2 in the series is A FOUNTAIN FILLED WITH BLOOD:

First line: "The yahoos came by just after the dinner party broke up."

Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne meet up again in Millers Kill when Emil Dvorak, the county medical examiner, is viciously attacked. Emil is the partner of Clare's good friend, Paul Foubert. When a second victim is discovered in his video rental store, Clare begins to press Russ into telling the town that a string of hate crimes is happening. The situation escalates even further when the developer of a posh spa, also a gay man, is found murdered in the park.

And Book 3 in the series is OUT OF THE DEEP I CRY:

First line: "Russ Van Alstyne had just gotten a tug on his line when he saw the old lady get up from between the headstones she had been trimming, lay down her gardening tools, and walk into the reservoir."

Spencer-Fleming makes a bit of a style change in the third installment in her series. In OUT OF THE DEEP I CRY, she tells the story through a series of flashback and current events. When St. Alban's roof finally springs a link, the vestry has no choice but to do something about it. They can't borrow money as the Church is too far in debt. So Mrs. Marshall, one of the vestry members, decides to break the trust her mother left her and give the money to St. Alban's to fix the roof. However, breaking the trust also means taking away the interest from the local medical clinic that Mrs. Marshall's mother helped established years ago. What seems like a paltry amount ends up wreaking havoc on Millers Kill.

I decided to review these altogether today because each of these books reflects the strengths of Julia Spencer-Fleming as a writer. She creates vivid characters with down-to-Earth qualities and characteristics. Much like Louise Penny or Craig Johnson, the consistency in characters from book to book makes the reader feel as though he/she is coming back to Millers Kill for a visit, seeing old friends again.

As I mentioned in my ONE WAS A SOLDIER review, I have a special affinity for Clare. Her well-meaning actions sometimes lead her straight into trouble. I can identify with that. Her periodic reflections on whether she's chosen the right life path. I can identify with that. Her tendency to end up wrinkled and disheveled. I can definitely identify with that. Clare and I share a great disdain for winter. I even drove a Mustang convertible at one time, but it wasn't a Shelby. I also won't be joining the seminary or flying helicopters anytime soon. But Spencer-Fleming takes a fictional character in a role we normally idealize and shows that character for the human she is. Spencer-Fleming does a masterful job of this.

Each of the novels centers around at least one social issue, flushing it out for the complicated situation that it is. Rarely is it as black and white as activists or politicians would like us to believe. The perfect storm of legal, moral and psychological ramifications often takes place smack in the middle of the plot. Clare's insistence on being right in the middle of police investigations may be a bit of a reach, but one readers will happily overlook for the pleasures of reading this series.

The Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series includes all elements of life: the funny parts, the serious parts, the scary parts, the happy parts and the sad parts. I believe that's what makes this series so rich. I went from one audiobook to the next to the next because I didn't want to leave Millers Kill and it's citizens. They've become my friends.

This audiobook series is recorded by AudioGo, formerly BBC America. All of the books are read by Suzanne Toren. I adore Toren for all of the female characters, especially Clare, but for the male characters I see a old woman who has smoked all her life. After a short while I grew use to it and didn't notice it quite as much, but it was kind of jarring at first. The other type of character that was a little painful for my ears was young males. There is a young police officer, in his early 20s, but her characterization of him sounds more like pre-pubescent. And when you're hearing a book, that alters the image of the character.

That being said, I do like this series on audio. Those two details are ones that after a short while you grow accustomed to because Toren does such a wonderful job of setting tone and the mood of the characters. The pacing is also exceptional. And she seems to have an intuitive understanding of the characters as well as Spencer-Fleming's humor.

I have three more books to catch up with the series, and I will listen to them all on audio. This is a series I would recommend to others who enjoy audiobooks.

ONE WAS A SOLDIER - Julia Spencer-Fleming

First line: "Sarah Dowling's first thought, peering through the wire-reinforced glass of the community center's door, was that they were an odd group."

Five soldiers have returned to Millers Kill from active duty. Five soldiers who have opted to join a counseling group to work through the demons that have followed them home from war. But when one of the five commits suicide, more than the personal demons of these soldiers are unleashed on the sleepy little New York town of Millers Kill.

When I was offered the chance to read ONE WAS A SOLDIER, I readily agreed. I had heard many good things about this series; here was my push to dive into it. So as not to start cold on the seventh book of the series, I picked up audiobooks of the earlier works in this series. For those who are concerned, it isn't necessary to have the background of the earlier books; you can pick this series up with ONE WAS A SOLDIER, but I enjoyed seeing how the characters from the earlier tales weaved into this one.

ONE WAS A SOLDIER is a timely story dealing with the unspeakable effects of war on our soldiers. It is because we allow these effects to be unspeakable that they have such devastating and lasting effects on our men and women. This novel approaches that issue beautifully.

The effects of the soldiers are all orbiting around the central event of the plot that deals with some unsavory business practices and an apparent car accident. Spencer-Fleming begins the book in a series of flashback episodes that ultimately lead into the present, allowing her to bring the story together in pieces. Much like the soldiers are piecing their lives back together, the reader pieces their stories and the mystery together.

The characters in this novel are at times painfully real, at other times humorously real, and still other times mundanely real. By the time the reader turns the last page, he/she has made a whole town of new friends. Of course, that's if you're reading this series for the first time. If you're a devoted series fan, then you're visiting them again after a bit of a vacation.

I'm especially fond of Clare Fergusson. Seeing her grow throughout the series is a joyful experience. She has so much love and compassion for others that sometimes she trips over it. Clare easily won a place on my list of favorite females in crime fiction.

ONE WAS A SOLDIER is a novel that doesn't fit easily into pre-established labels. Grittier than the cozy novel, a touch of the literary, and whole lot of enjoyment. It's in a league of its own. Count me among Julia Spencer-Fleming's cheerleaders. I love this series.

ONE WAS A SOLDIER is available today from Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-312-33489-5) and will be available later this month on audio from AudioGo (ISBN: 978-1-609-98185-3). Thursday I'll have a review of another book from the series in the audio format.