A Beautiful Mystery - Louise Penny

My review of the audiobook of A BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers. I am reprinting it here with their permission.

First line: "In the early nineteenth century the Catholic Church realized it had a problem."

Louise Penny ventures out of Three Pines for her eighth novel featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. The change of setting and characters doesn’t faze long-time series narrator Ralph Cosham, however.

Gamache and his right-hand-inspector Jean-Guy Beauvoir must dare to go where few have gone before and where no layman has: the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups. The monks are famous for singing Gregorian chants, and while Penny does not write much for Cosham to sing, what he does harmonize is rich and soothing, an earworm listeners won’t mind having stuck in their heads.

Cosham’s approach to The Beautiful Mystery enhances the reverent tone while still plucking Penny’s ripe humor from the vines that weave their ways throughout the dark plot. Penny has a gift with dialogue, and Cosham makes that gift pop for the audience.

The French words and phrases peppered throughout the narrative roll flawlessly off Cosham’s tongue, and he translates the starkly differing emotional effects of seclusion on each of Penny’s main characters: Gamache is cloaked in wonderment; he finds freedom and release through introspection, connecting with his soul. Beauvoir, on the other hand, suffocates, slowly choking away his sanity.

“The Beautiful Mystery” of which this novel derives its name is the allure of the Gregorian chants. But there is no mystery about the allure of Louise Penny’s series or the beauty with which Ralph Cosham continues to narrate it. This is a series that should be experienced at least once on audio. The Beautiful Mystery is a perfect choice to experience.

The Beautiful Mystery is available as an audiobook from MacMillan Audio (ISBN: 978142722609) and in hardcover (ISBN: 978031265546) from Minotaur Books.

Audiobook Thursday - BURY YOUR DEAD

First line: "Up the stairs they raced, taking them two at a time, trying to be as quiet as possible."

As Armand Gamache and Jean Guy Beauvoir recover from a devastating mishap, they each find themselves in an unplanned investigation. Gamache is pulled into a murder investigation in Quebec City while Beauvoir returns to Three Pines to retrace the steps of the hermit's murder and Olivier Brule's subsequent arrest. As these two story lines move forward, flashbacks slowly reveal the mishap that injured both inspectors, physically and psychologically.

Louise Penny continues to raise the stakes with each installment of the Three Pines/Chief Inspector Gamache series. In BURY YOUR DEAD she takes a closer look at the souls of her characters than she has in the previous novels. Series devotees know that Armand Gamache is a good man, a smart man, but in BURY YOUR DEAD he becomes a little more like the average reader. He suffers and makes mistakes and experiences regret. While this is a very important part of the book and it definitely enriches the plot, what truly hooked me in BURY YOUR DEAD, was Penny's development of Beauvoir.

Beauvoir has long intrigued me, but he mostly plays a sideline role in the previous novels. In BURY YOUR DEAD readers get to experience more of Beauvoir's thoughts, instincts and reactions. He is a rich, fascinating character. An outcast in his profession until Gamache recognized a spark of potential and recruited him for his team, Beauvoir is often abrasive and unlikeable. However, he is also smart and devoted to Gamache. Just when you're prepared to dislike him, he does something to win your heart. I enjoyed this extra time with Beauvoir and hope he plays a more substantial role in future books as well.

BURY YOUR DEAD is, like its predecessors, steeped in Penny's unique blend of humor and heartbreak. The characters are all unique, colorful and realistic. The reader can practically feel the heat from the bistro fireplace as he/she is transported to rural Quebec. And in BURY YOUR DEAD Penny shows a little more of the Anglophone versus Francophone conflict and communication barriers present in Quebec:

"'In the entire interview she spoke French and I spoke English. It was like something out of a cartoon. She must think I'm a moron. So far all I've done is grinned and nodded and I think I may have asked whether she's descended from the lower orders.'

'Why did you ask that?'

'I didn't mean to. I wanted to ask if she had access to the basement, but something went wrong,' he smiled ruefully. 'I think clarity might be important in a murder case.'

'I think you may be right. What did she say to your question?'

'She got quite upset and said that the night is a strawberry.'"

BURY YOUR DEAD is another splendid effort from Penny. I will, however, caution readers not to pick up BURY YOUR DEAD before having read THE BRUTAL TELLING. Knowing the plot of THE BRUTAL TELLING is important to understanding Beauvoir's plotline in BURY YOUR DEAD.

As with all of the Three Pines novels before it, BURY YOUR DEAD is narrated beautifully by Ralph Cosham. Cosham deftly maneuvers between the French-Canadian characters and the Anglo-Canadian characters. He is conscientious of Penny's humor and enriches it in his reading. He knows the characters and aids readers in entering not only their worlds, but their minds. And BURY YOUR DEAD is his greatest challenge to date as far as the mental and emotional elements are concerned. Cosham makes it sound so easy. In my opinion, this audiobook series truly rates as one of the greatest pairings of narrator and works.

BURY YOUR DEAD is available on unabridged audio from Macmillan Audio (ISBN: 978-1-427-21071-5) and in hardcover from Minotaur (ISBN: 978-0-312-37704-5).

BBAW - Forgotten Treasures

I was so excited to see this topic for Book Blogger Appreciation Week. One of the "unexpected treasures" I discovered when I started blogging was finding books that weren't on bestseller lists but were amazing stories. And then when I started telling other people about them and they loved them, there was this warm feeling inside me. I found this magical reward of connecting people with great books. And that's really become the mission of this blog - connecting people with great books.

Thursday is normally the day I write about audiobooks, so what I decided to do was to highlight a few books that are phenomenal stories and equally amazing audiobooks. Whether you are a print reader, an audiophile, or both, these are some unsung books that I highly recommend:

Craig Johnson is becoming more and more familiar to readers, which makes me very happy, but it still surprises me how many people haven't heard of him or read his work. He has a series of books featuring Wyoming sheriff, Walt Longmire, that begins with THE COLD DISH. Johnson has created a fictional town full of the most amazingly real characters. His development of the setting is along the lines of James Lee Burke. His plots focus on social issues and are richly complex. Emotions run the gambit in this series. You'll cry from laughing so hard, and you'll cry from heart ache. This isn't a series that allows the reader to be passive. All of the books in this series are narrated by George Guidall and while I have other audiobook narrators that I enjoy and consider among my favorites, no one brings a book to life the way Guidall has brought the Walt Longmire series to life. Guidall picks up on all of the subtle nuances, the sarcasm, he even sings when Johnson writes it into the book. This is a stellar series that has garnered fans well beyond the boundaries of the crime fiction genre and I don't hesitate to give it my highest recommendation.

Louise Penny has a series set in the fictional Canadian town of Three Pines. Her protagonist is Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, but the diverse citizens of Three Pines are as vital to the series as Gamache. The series begins with STILL LIFE. While I have adored each book in this series, it is also a series that has gotten better with each subsequent installment. Penny also has a gift with weaving humor into her works, but they would never be classified as comedies. Instead they are studies in humanity. This series is beautifully narrated on audio by Ralph Cosham. Not only does he handle the French in the novel expertly, he brings out the relationships between characters. The importance of those relationships is essential to this series. This is another series that is gaining fans and attention. It's through efforts like this that the word is spread and the greatness becomes more apparent. I highly recommend this series as well in both print and on audio.

And finally, I'll share with you two books written by different authors, but recorded by the same narrator. Brad Parks' FACES OF THE GONE and Steve Hamilton's THE LOCK ARTIST are both available on audio, narrated by MacLeod Andrews. FACES OF THE GONE is Brad Parks' debut novel featuring investigative reporter Carter Ross. This is the first of a series. Steve Hamilton's THE LOCK ARTIST is a stand alone featuring a teenage thief. Make no mistake, however, THE LOCK ARTIST is not a YA novel. It's a dark, gritty, moving crime novel.

I could go on for days about books I think are hidden gems in the crime fiction genre, so if you're ever looking for some such book, please feel to drop me an email. I'll be happy to recommend. And of course I'm always excited to hear about hidden gems myself. Discovering them for the first time is exciting. And if you're looking for more gems you can also head over to the main Book Blogger Appreciation site today and see what books the other bloggers are sharing today.

Technorati Tags: BBAW 2010, Steve Hamilton, Craig Johnson, Brad Parks, Louise Penny

What Would YOU Like to See Nominated?

Alafair Burke put this short video together on what MWA folks would like to see nominated this year for the Edgar Awards. I think it's an intriguing question, so I'll throw it out for all of you as well. Check out the video and then let me know in the comments what you'd like to see nominated this year:


I have to be honest and say I don't know where the cut-off dates are for this year's nominations, but I think Craig Johnson is long overdue for recognition here and would like to see THE DARK HORSE get a nod. I also think TELL NO ONE (Gregg Hurwitz), THE BRUTAL TELLING (Louise Penny) and TOWER (Coleman/Bruen) are deserving. I'm listening to THE LONG FALL during my workouts and it's another powerful book. Also, I've said this repeatedly, Timothy Hallinan's amazing. BREATHING WATER is the best of the Poke Rafferty series and I don't know how this series is being kept such a secret. I think this year will be a challenge; there was a lot of great stuff out there.

Best first novel. I'll be disappointed if Sophie Littlefield and Brad Parks are overlooked here.

And I'm not much in the prognostication department, but THE FIRST RULE and PRINT THE LEGEND will be hard pressed to find contenders in my reading for next year!

I'd also like to see S.J. Rozan's short story "Night Court" from THE PROSECUTION RESTS get a nod in the short story category. It's magnificent.

O.k., your turn! Whatda think?

A Trio of Pennies...or rather Penny's

Since I've been slacking a bit on my reviews...o.k., I've been slacking a lot. I'm behind. So, I'm going to review three books together today. They all share a common theme - Armand Gamache. I listened to A FATAL GRACE, THE CRUELEST MONTH, and A RULE AGAINST MURDER on audiobook, all read by Ralph Cosham.


FIRST LINE (A FATAL GRACE): "Had CC de Poitiers known she was going to be murdered she might have bought her husband, Richard, a Christmas gift."

In A FATAL GRACE, the very snooty, very unpopular CC de Poitiers has moved into the old Hadley house of Three Pines with her husband and daughter, Crie. And when CC is electrocuted to death during a curling match, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his murder investigation team return to the small village at Christmastime to find a killer among a long list of suspects.


FIRST LINE (THE CRUELEST MONTH): "Kneeling in the fragrant moist grass of the village green Clara Morrow carefully hid the Easter egg and thought about raising the dead, which she planned to do right after supper."

THE CRUELEST MONTH shifts the season to Easter and to celebrate the holiday, a group of the Three Pines residents decide to hold a séance in...yep...the old Hadley house. But when the séance results in the death of Madeleine Favreau, the question becomes "did she die of natural causes or did someone murder her?" While Chief Inspector Armand Gamache investigates to discover the answer to this question, he must also face the past that haunts him and the present force that opposes him. It is Mother Nature who makes April the cruelest month for plants and animals, but human hands are entirely responsible for Gamache's cruelest month.


FIRST LINE (A RULE AGAINST MURDER): "In the height of summer then guests descended on the isolated lodge by the lake, summoned to the Manoir Bellechasse by identical vellum invitations, addressed in the familiar spider scrawl as though written in cobwebs."

And in the third of the trio, A RULE AGAINST MURDER, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache finds himself in a new setting investigating a murder. Gamache and his wife, Reine-Marie, are celebrating their wedding anniversary at the luxurious Manoir Bellechasse at precisely the same time that the Finney family comes for a family reunion. In the midst of a summer rain storm, Julia Finney-Martin is crushed to death by a massive statue that not only fell from its pedestal but left no marks in the fall. Gamache must interrupt his anniversary vacation to determine not only who killed Julia and why, but first he must determine how the murderer knocked the statue over without leaving any physical trace on the pedestal.

I will start off by saying that this series is among my favorites on audiobook. While I own each book in hardcover, I have also listened to each on audio. Ralph Cosham is astounding. His portrayal of Penny's colorful cast is rich and poignant. Penny's writing coupled with Cosham's voice creates a magical presentation of the Three Pines series. In my mind, I could not have imagined a more appropriate sound for Gamache. And Cosham interprets the novels in such a way that Penny's dry humor powerful emotion radiates and from the speakers. This is definitely an audio series worth listening to.

I previously reviewed Louise Penny's first novel STILL LIFE and her most recent novel THE BRUTAL TELLING. And what is most important to know about Louise Penny's series: she is consistently amazing. In every book the characters come to life. You can see them and hear them and smell them. And they "touch" the reader in ways that the characters of many great writers never achieve. For me the most astonishing part is the way Penny creates an atmosphere that allows me to cheer for my friends, to cry with them, mourn with them, celebrate with them, LAUGH with them...fear with them, because she's allowed me to be a part of that community.

Penny also has a special talent when it comes to suspense. Her plot development builds suspense through many twists and turns right up to the very last minute and this is an element that is further enhanced by the audiobook because you can't look a couple lines ahead to see the twist happen. In A RULE AGAINST MURDER, until Gamache actually SAID the name of the murderer, I was convinced it was someone else. He was standing looking at the murderer and talking to the murderer, and I completely thought it was someone else. It's better than being caught completely unaware at Christmas.

Often we'll talk about visiting other worlds through our books, but never has it felt more real for me as a reader than in Louise Penny's tales of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Opening the front cover is like opening the front door and stepping into the warm, inviting town. The greatest sadness comes at the end when I close the back cover and know I've stepped back out of this world. But the welcome mat is always out at Three Pines, so I'll go back to visit over and over again.

I've spoken about these three novels in very broad strokes, but as I mentioned at the beginning Louise Penny is consistently amazing; she fills each and every novel with brilliant characters, strong emotion, witty humor, puzzling plots. And every book is still distinct, exquisite, and magical. If you have not read this series, I cannot recommend strongly enough that you do so. Order a book, visit your library, but get your hands on a Louise Penny Three Pines novel!

All five books in the Three Pines Series are available from St. Martin's Minotaur. In additon, the audiobooks are produced by Blackstone Audiobooks.

Bouchercon Diary - Day Two

Alrighty, let's return to the Bouchercon recap! Friday, Day 1 (for me), was outstanding. How did Saturday have a chance? mmm....

I got up a little on the early side, took care of the bothersome necessities (shower, dressing, etc). Then I wandered out to find some tea and the first panel I was going to attend. I went to the Kindle presentation, more out of curiosity than anything else - I'm not actually interested in getting a Kindle. Kindle/Amazon won't attend our organization's conference so I was interested to see what they would have to say. It was evident pretty early on that the content was directed at authors and publishers, so I quietly bowed out before the session was over. This little disappearing act enabled me to get in line 1st for Lee Child signing table. I wanted to have him sign his memoir scrapbook page. Honestly, had I not been in a position to do this, I probably wouldn't have gotten it signed simply because his lines were always so long and that turns impersonal. To me that's not fun. It's just a matter of how fast can we move people through this line, kind of thing. But, I did get in line first, and I snapped this picture - not so great, but it was all I got.



Then I got back into line, this time to see David Morrell and have him sign HIS memoir page.


By the time I had gotten both of those taken care of, the next round of panels had already gotten under way, so I decided to forgo a panel and wander around. That's when I found this handsome fella hangin' out:


And then I sat for a bit and chatted with this other handsome guy, Duffy Dombrowski's alter ego:


I did by the way get my requisite hugs from both of these fine gentlemen! ;)

Finally, I hooked up with a third handsome guy for lunch! Michael Lister - who in all my giddiness I neglected to grab a picture with - met me for lunch and we enjoyed a very nice conversation. I had the chance to congratulate him on Michael Connelly giving him a shout out about his new book in Connelly's interview from the day before. Michael Connelly and I share an appreciation of Michael Lister's DOUBLE EXPOSURE. And let me tell you how flattered I was that he made time to get together with me when he was flying out that afternoon after his panel. Super, super nice guy. If you ever have the chance to meet him, by all means, snatch it up!

After lunch I sprinted back to my room and reorganized my books in my bag and headed off to what turned out to be the absolute BEST panel I attended at Bouchercon. This panel was titled "IMBA and the Dilys Winn Award." Between the facts that the panel was opposite a panel with Harlan Coben, in a large room and I arrived early, I got a front row seat for William Kent Krueger, Louise Penny and Sean Chercover, moderated by Robin Agnew (from Aunt Agatha's in Ann Arbor). The chemistry of the folks on this panel worked amazingly. All three authors were laid back, candid, funny. They talked about starting out in the publishing business and funding their own book tours. They talked about both good and bad experiences at independent book stores - or in Louise's case, at a library. If you can see in these pictures, at one point Louise was embarrassed by something she said so she swapped name tents with Sean. I heard a lot of people talking about the panel with Harlan Coben that the fact that it was a good one, but honestly, I wouldn't have traded being in this session for anything! Well, maybe that's exaggerating a little - maybe there are a FEW things, but I definitely wouldn't have swapped it for any other session!








Afterwards I toddled over to have Sean sign my books - I'd managed to corner Louise before lunch that day. So Sean signed my books (on one he wrote "P.S. - see ya online" too cool!! O.k., geeky fangirl moment, give me a break!) and then I still had some time; I looked around and found LIBBY FISCHER HELLMANN!! Yay! I was looking so forward to meeting her. I only had to wait for one other person to finish up and I walked up to her table and said, "Libby, I'm Jen, can I come around and hug you?" So, I got to share a big hug with Libby and a little bit of chit chat. I truly admire her and it was a wonderful experience to get to meet her. But again, no picture. I WILL get one soon, though. More on that later. The other person I got to meet at this time, who I was very much looking forward to was Rebecca Cantrell. She's another of the Criminal Minds bloggers. Oh! She is just amazingly wonderful. Just like with Sophie, I felt as though I had known her my whole entire life.


Then the big moment was upon me...my Hot Ticket session! With Michael Connelly! I truly admire him. He doesn't strike me as the kind of person for whom the spotlight comes easy, and that makes me admire him even more. Being in the spotlight constantly all weekend long has to be exhausting when it doesn't feel natural. But anyway, he was wonderful in our session, and answered everyone's questions. The MWA Midwest chapter that organized this did a very nice job and they made sure that everyone had a chance to ask questions and no one person dominated. This is where we found out the little tidbit about Robert Crais. Michael was explaining that both he and Crais had secretly stopped reading each other's work so that the same kinds of things didn't end up creeping into the other's books since they are both set in L.A. But, they concocted the idea to have each other's character cameo in the opposite's book. Each author would send the paragraph that the other's character was in to the other author for final approval. RC had Harry Bosch out behind the police station smoking...four books after Harry QUIT smoking! Michael sent Robert an email that said "BUSTED!" I just love that story. He talked about his feelings toward BLOODWORK, the movie, and the fact that he wouldn't be able to pick a Hollywood name to play Bosch because there isn't an actor that fits his image of Bosch that he's created in his mind throughout the years. I then asked him about audiobooks and if he's unable to hear them because they don't sound like what he believes Bosch should sound like. He said yes, that was exactly the case, but that he did listen to an abridged version of one of his books that Burt Reynolds did because someone told him to do that if he wanted a laugh. He said he didn't find what Burt Reynolds did at all funny!



What endeared me the most to Michael Connelly in this session, was when he said, "I know this is going to sound like I have an ego, and I do have an ego. I know I'm a good writer; I know I'm a talented writer. But there are a lot of good writers, talented writers in this business. I also had a lot of luck, more than any one person should probably be allowed to have." What he viewed as being entirely arrogant, I saw as incredible modesty. This man has made an amazing impact on the crime fiction genre; he has given back so much to the mystery community; and I was extremely humbled to be able to attend this session. It was wonderful. He still intimidates the hell out of me, though!

Afterwards Michael graciously signed our books (and my memoir page), I was able to chat a few minutes with Shannon Byrne, Michael's publicists and a great friend to Jen's Book Thoughts, and then I darted over to the book room to have Reed Farrel Coleman sign my books. He had a panel while I was in with Michael Connelly, so I wanted to make sure I grabbed him. On one book, Reed signed "To sixy Jen." Hehehe! He's so creative!


Alright! Now it was time for the Anthony Awards. I found Jon and Ruth Jordan and David Thompson and asked to follow along because once again, I didn't know where I was going. And we headed on over to the Hilbert Circle Theater. Very beautiful theater but none of my pictures came out thanks to the lighting. I'm sure that you heard about the Anthony Award winners already, so I'll just say that it was special for me to be able to congratulate Sean Chercover, Jon & Ruth Jordan and Chris Grabenstein in person. I was extremely happy for them all. I was also especially happy for Rosemary Harris who was nominated in the category of Best First Novel. S.J. Rozan was a magnificent toast master. What a witty character she is. And Michael Connelly was all class when he awarded S. J. Rozan her award for toast master. She was technically supposed to award it to herself, but he took it upon himself to bestow the award appropriately. Good guy!

After the awards there was a bit of a reception in the lobby. I finally caught up with Robin Burcell. I was so thrilled to have a chance to see her and talk with her and grab this picture:


I also snagged Hank Philippi Ryan so she could sign her scrapbook page. She cried. I didn't want her to cry, but I was also flattered that my project created that much emotion for her. What a lovely, lovely person she is. S.J. Rozan signed her memoir, as did Marcus Sakey and Jason Pinter. I met Megan Abbott in person.

Finally as I wrapped up my time at the theater, I met up with Robin Agnew and my friend Patti O'Brien and we went to dinner at a very nice brewery. Great dinner, great conversation. And the night still wasn't over!

After heading back to the hotel, I made my way to the Artsgarden for the charity auction. The auctioneers were Donna Andrews and Chris Grabenstein - thus, why I said Chris could make his living this way if he ever left writing. The items in this auction were way beyond my means, but it was fun to watch. A character name in an upcoming Sue Grafton went for a couple thousand dollars. Yikes! But, it was all for charity and that is wonderful.




I headed back to the Hyatt hotel bar after that, where I met up with Sophie Littlefield again. She and some others were headed over to Lee Child's Reacher Creature party and they invited me to tag along. So, off I went!

It was rather insane at the Slippery Noodle. The place was wall-to-wall people, so between the live music and all the people, you couldn't hear a thing unless you were right up against the person talking, and preferably with them talking directly into your ear! Plus, if you wanted to move anywhere, you pretty much had to shove your way through. I did get to see Reed Farrel Coleman dancing:


And snapped this picture of Brett Battles and Sophie:


But, I told Sophie I thought I would go; that wasn't really my speed. But, she and Brett left with me and we went to a gen-u-ine Hoosier bar, as Sophie called it! We had a great time there. Fun conversation, cool bartender, people watching. Juliet Blackwell joined us after awhile. Sophie really liked the deer heads mounted on the wall, and we all especially liked the poinsettia decorations which we decided had probably been up since LAST Christmas. But that's o.k., it was still great!

And finally, about 11, we headed back to the Hyatt bar where we met up with Rebecca Cantrell, Kelli Stanley, and I also got to snag Jason Pinter for a picture. I have to watch the scrapbook around him, though! ;) Jason's fun. I enjoy talking to him.


And that's where I called it a night, but lord, what a night it all turned out to be! Another awesome day at Bouchercon! Tomorrow I'll wrap up with the last day of Bouchercon and the scrapbook pictures. I hope you'll check back. Until then, happy reading!

This Week's Odds and Ends

Happy Sunday. I have a busy weekend lined up in an effort to get a good chuck of the Six-Word Memoir scrapbook finished for Bouchercon, which by the way, is now less than 2 WEEKS away. I absolutely can not believe it. It is on the horizon.

But, there is also something else on the horizon...Christmas. There appear to be 81 shopping days until Christmas. Don't worry. I'm not going to do a Christmas countdown, I promise. I'm not ready for decorations or music or anything like that yet, but usually I start thinking about Christmas gifts long before this. It's a financial thing. I simply can't afford to wait until Thanksgiving to start doing the shopping. Have to spread it out. This year my attentions have been all focused on Bouchercon - I know that comes as a complete surprise to you all! And I'm sure by now you're all going, "Jen, this is a book blog; what does this have to do with anything?" Well, in my wordy, round-a-bout way I'm getting to some recommendations. First, I'd like to once again begin to recommend books as Christmas gifts. I was utterly disgusted when I read this quote from a NYT article about the possibility of adding versatility to the Kindle:

"My general thought is that the limitations of e-ink make this a limited device for applications," said Evan Schnittman, vice president at Oxford University Press. "It's for reading, not interactivity. The refresh rate alone would kill anything remotely fun or cool." (Article: "Will Amazon Open the Kindle to Developers"; New York Times, Sept. 25, 2009)

Uhm, EXCUSE ME? Who says that READING isn't fun or cool? And the vice president of Oxford University Press? Huh? I think it is both, which is why I want to send that message by using books as gifts, especially for my niece and nephew who are young and need to learn from the get-go that reading is both cool and fun. So, all that hoopla to first remind you of some FABULOUS bookstores that specialize in mystery/crime fiction. I love all of these stores. They work incredibly hard to bring about the best of the best in customer service. And if you're wondering, yes, I believe all of them will be able to tell you books what would be great gifts for me - ha! Just kidding.

The Mystery Bookstore in Los Angeles totally won my heart when I visited there in April. If you ever want to feel like family, just cross the threshold of their store. Of course, I don't have the chance to visit often physically, but via Twitter, Facebook and e-mail I've experienced events and such that would have never been possible 10 years ago! Bobby, Linda and the entire staff are beyond wonderful. I have to give a special shout out to Emily who was corresponding with me this week, too. Just love all of them there! As part of their customer service you can expect many things. I know if I order a book to be shipped from them, it will come in pristine condition. I'm not kidding. They package that baby up so it could make a detour through WWIII and still come to me in perfect condition. They also have a slew of signed books, so if you want to give an extra-special gift you can find one of the many titles that they have available autographed by the author. Or even better yet, if you know the author is going to be doing an event there, you can order your book and request to have it personalized. Wouldn't that make a heck of a gift? Absolutely awesome folks!

The Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, is another great resource for your mystery book shopping list. If you're planning in advance, they can order ANY book for you (as I'm sure any of these stores on my list would be willing to do). And like The Mystery Bookstore in L.A., they are customer service-centered. The last time I visited, I was driving in to see Craig Johnson's event and I was greeted at the door with a warm reception. I almost felt like I was the guest of honor, not Craig. And that's how they treat you, like their guest of honor. They also carry a significant line of puzzles and games. I bought Banana-grams for my niece from them. Very cool. If you're ordering a purchase for delivery in advance, you can get free shipping for any order over $10. It comes media mail, so you need to have enough time for it to get to you, but if you need it quicker, for a nominal fee they will ship it in under quicker rating. They often have signed books on hand from their many events as well, so you can check and see what is available at any given time.

The Foul Play Bookstore in Westerville, Ohio, is another specialty mystery bookstore I've had the joy of experiencing. They have a nice selection of used books, cat gifts (gifts with cat themes that is - not gifts FOR your cat) and new releases. They can also order books for you if you're interested in certain titles. Their store is very unique because it is a renovated Victorian home. If you have the chance to attend an event - not in the winter - you can sit out on the beautiful back porch with them and enjoy the fresh air. And again, I can't say enough about how nice the people are. Despite the fact that villains are doing bad things IN our books, super nice folks are selling those books to us, I promise!

And finally I want to highlight a bookstore that I haven't ever actually visited. It's Murder by the Book in Houston, Texas. I am so determined to visit these folks. I've gotten to know the store a little through Twitter, and I have to tell you that I am totally in love with these. And this duel interview was awesome! I'm also extremely envious of all the amazing events they have there. You can obtain autographed copies of books, order whatever suits your fancy, and get great recommendations. As a matter of fact, assistant manager David just gave me a recommendation this week. If I can't manage to get there before, our organization has its trade show in Houston in 2011 and I'll make sure I visit THEN!

So I've given you some stores all around the country. I do hope that you will think of one of them - or another independent near you - when you're doing your book shopping this year. Remember they can order anything for you, and I know they will be willing to do so. These folks are all about customer service. They do what they do because they LOVE selling mystery and crime fiction books to you.

I know there are many more great stores out there; this list is a list of the ones who have made a tremendous and lasting impression on me. I am certain they will do the same for you.

And just a few other odds and ends before I head off to do my weekly grocery shopping...ugh. I am thrilled for Steve Weems who is going to see his first book published very soon. During the manuscript process, he asked if I would read it and give him some feedback. Well, the English teacher in me probably provided a bit more than what he was actually expecting (sorry, Steve), and I felt bad because it took me FOR-EVER to get through the manuscript, reading parts at lunch breaks and before bed and whatnot. So, it's very neat to have been involved in his "process" and now see this.

If you have a chance snag a copy of the Oct. 12th?/15th? PEOPLE magazine. It should actually be out now, whichever date it actually is. I'm picking mine up when I go out this morning. There is a review in the books section of, yes, Louise Penny's THE BRUTAL TELLING. How fabulous is this? Not only did she make a B&N Main Selection, a NYT Best Seller, a USA Today top 150, but she also made PEOPLE magazine. This is huge and it is wonderful. Go Louise!

O.k., I think that is about it for this edition of odds and ends. I hope you have a wonderful week. It may be a little on the thin side here at Jen's Book Thoughts as I plug away at that scrapbook, but rest assured a mystery backlist title tomorrow and new memoirs on Wednesday.

Happy Reading!

THE BRUTAL TELLING - Louise Penny

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is back in Three Pines with his murder investigation team. This time a body has been left in Olivier Brulé's bistro. The team quickly learns that he was killed elsewhere and delivered to the bistro, left to be discovered. The man appears to be unknown to everyone in the close-knit little town. Where did he come from? Who is he? And most importantly, who would leave a dead body in Olivier's bistro? As a plethora of suspects begin to emerge, hidden secrets about the inhabitants of Three Pines also begin to rear their heads. "Chaos is coming, old son."

THE BRUTAL TELLING is Louise Penny's fifth book in the Inspector Gamache series and it is easily the most powerful book I have read this year. Readers will leave this book feeling equally haunted and inspired. Penny manages to reach the tips of the reader's every emotion in her tale of humanity.

What I find most amazing about Penny's writing is her ability to tap into all the minute, yet vital, elements of man and more importantly, man's interaction with others. She sees and meticulously illustrates what most people overlook and take for granted; it is this talent that makes her writing stand out so brilliantly.

In many ways, Penny wrote this review herself in the lines of this book. All of the elements that have won her awards and recognition are present only magnified ten-fold. Her endearing characters: "He smiled and not for the first time she thought the rarest thing she'd ever found was Chief Inspector Gamache." Her distinct setting:

"This solid little village that never changed but helped its inhabitants to change. She'd arrived straight from art college full of avant-garde ideas, wearing shades of gray and seeing the world in black and white. So sure of herself. But here, in the middle of nowhere, she'd discovered color. And nuance. She'd learned from the villagers, who'd been generous enough to lend her their souls to paint. Not as perfect human beings, but as flawed, struggling men and women. Filled with fear and uncertainty, and in at least one case martinis."

Her unique humor:

"In Beauvoir's experience Darwin was way wrong. The fittest didn't survive. They were killed by the idiocy of their neighbors, who continued to bumble along oblivious."

Her characters are the rarest; her setting does more than help its inhabitants change, it helps the readers change as well. And her humor is expertly woven into the fabric of the characters and the plot.

The plot of THE BRUTAL TELLING is unparalleled. This is a plot that demands to be read over and over to even come close to grasping the full meaning and complexity.

When speaking to a friend about Louise Penny's writing, I said, "it is art on many levels." That statement is an oversimplification of the richly amazing stories she paints across the pages of her books. In THE BRUTAL TELLING we hope that the world is about to discover Clara Morrow. The people of Three Pines have known for a very long time that she is extraordinary and it is now time for the rest of the world to discover that as well. With the publication of THE BRUTAL TELLING we hope that the world is about to discover Louise Penny. The mystery community has known that she is extraordinary for quite some time; it's time for the rest of the world to know as well.

THE BRUTAL TELLING was released in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-312-37703-8) last week from St. Martin's Minotaur.

Winners and Other Odds and Ends

I believe my beloved summer has finally bid me its final farewell. Yesterday was dark, dreary, rainy and chilly ALL DAY LONG. The next week's forecast doesn't look much better and I don't think the temps are going to reach 70 any day. So, I'll wave goodbye to summer and begin my yearning for it to come again next year.

In happier news, yesterday I drew three lucky winners for the limited edition copies of Libby Hellmann's short story, "The Murder of Katie Boyle." They included: Lisa from Florida, Charlotte from Georgia, and Kate from Virginia. Congrats to all the winners!!

I also wanted to let you know about a contest that Chris Grabenstein is holding to name a cat and a dog in his upcoming John Ceepak novel, ROLLING THUNDER. The contest will help raise money for the Artemis Project, which is a non-profit animal welfare organization in New York City. For every $10 you donate, you get one entry in the drawing. The directions for the contest can be found here. And you know me, I'm tickled pink about this. One of my most favorite authors is doing something to benefit the animals in need. What more could a girl want?

I haven't mentioned lately the google searches people are doing that lands them at Jen's Book Thoughts, so today I'll share a few of those. First of all, I have to say how big a smile I have every time I check and there are more direct hits than the time before or when people are looking specifically for my blog name. I also want to send out a big thanks to everyone who has a link to my blog somewhere on their site. I have more people coming from links than from search engines. That's cool! But recently, I guess I established official "stalker" status because someone did a search for "Rocky River, Ohio stalker" and ended up here! I got a good chuckle from that one, and secretly prayed that it wasn't the Rocky River Police doing that search (GEORGE!!). I'm still getting folks trying to figure out how to hem leather pants and I'll not even subject you to the searches people do that brings them to my review of Island of the Naked Women. I've been fearful of a few of those searches.

We simply cannot be remiss in congratulating Louise Penny on her Barnes and Noble Main Selection this month. THE BRUTAL TELLING snatched up this honor and it will alert many folks to this phenomenal series. Yay, Louise! I'll be reviewing this wonderful book soon, be on the lookout!

And finally, I must remind everyone that this is National Banned Books Week. I hope you will all exercise your freedom to read this week. I am off now to find a good banned book to highlight for the Monday Mystery backlist.

Enjoy the remainder of your Sunday and have a fabulous week!

18 DAYS TO BOUCHERCON!!!

Appreciating Book Bloggers This Week

Welcome to Book Blogger Appreciation Week everyone! One of the topics that is suggested by the Book Blogger Appreciation Week committee is to blog about our favorite blogs that didn't make the short lists in award nominations. There are so many great blogs available in this blog-o-sphere of ours. Sometimes they get lost amidst all the ... sorry ... crap that's out there. Yeah, there's plenty of that, too. So, please allow me to share with you some outstanding blogs that deserve recognition every day:

Lazy Thoughts from a Boomer is absolutely one of my all-time favorite blogs, period. My great Boomer friend, Michael doesn't always blog about books; it's much better than that. He mixes in music and movies and "kids say the darnedest things." It's absolutely wonderful. And he's my go-to guy on recommendations for audio books. He is IN THE KNOW about great narrators and excellent recordings. And on top of being one of my favorite bloggers, he's also a great friend. When I traveled to SoCal to attend the L.A. Times Festival of Books, he met me, chatted up authors with me, secured my panel tickets, bummed around with my sister and I...he just made my trip a million times better than it would have been without him. So he's a prime example of the Internet creating friendships that wouldn't have otherwise existed. I hope you'll take a few minutes to recognize Michael's great blogging work; stop over and say 'hey.' I'm sure you'll enjoy his blog as much as I do!

Lesa's Book Critiques is a definite must-read for mystery-loving readers. This amazing librarian keeps all of us in the know on the latest and greatest in the mystery genre! I've often said to Lesa that I view her as my blogging mentor. I'm regularly pestering her with ideas to see what she thinks of them and if I should try them. And she never seems to tire of my pestering either. Lesa and I share another link, and that is the state of Ohio. Lesa was a librarian in NE Ohio in a previous life, and we let her get away. Now she's in Arizona hatching up all these amazing programs for her library and I'm wishing she was running MY library! Although, I've been trying to coax her into getting web cam set up so I can experience virtually! ;) Lesa hosts a series called Authors at the Teague, and she regularly shares those events on her blog. She also shares the Brown Bag Luncheons that she sponsors for her staff and for the community. Every week she hosts a fantastic book give-away. And of course, her blog is full of reviews and interviews and guest posts. But one of my absolute favorite features of Lesa's blog is her "Treasures in my Closet" posts. Here she shares with us mysteries that are upcoming releases so we can wait on pins and needles for them to make it to our bookstore shelves.

Kaye Barley is one of the most well-known folks in the mystery community. She writes the Meanderings and Muses blog. While she doesn't consider herself a reviewer, she is definitely an appreciator of great mystery literature. All this year she has been hosting guest posts from various folks throughout the mystery community. And she's more than generous to share with us experiences she has at author events. And what is especially fun is when she blogs about special topics like hats and inaugurations and tea parties! If you don't feel at home and loved at this blog, there may not be much hope for you, sorry. I hope you'll visit Kaye and soak up a little of the love that emanates from Meanderings and Muses every single day.

There are three published authors who have blogs I read religiously. Of course I often mention Alafair Burke who blogs about everything from her books to her job as a law professor to pop culture. She also has a knack for finding the best video clips from UTube.

Tim Hallinan's blog is very artistically centered. He hosts guests who talk about the creative process and what works for each of them. He's shared segments of books he's working on, and he's a wealth of knowledge when it comes to great book recommendations. He knows the genre well.

And finally, the most recent blog to be added to my must-read list: Louise Penny. In my eyes, her blog is just like her Three Pines series: quaint, funny, warm, inviting. A little less murder, though. She is a consistent blogger and it's nice to feel that regular connection with her. Maybe it's intimidation, I don't know, but I mostly lurk there; I've never left a comment. It's just nice to BE at her blog. I simply love it.

And finally, I want to recognize two collective blogs, each hosted by a group of mystery writers. First is a new blog this year: 7 Criminal Minds. They are comprised of Gabriella Herkert, CJ Lyons, Rebecca Cantrell, Sophie Littlefield, Kelli Stanley, Shane Gericke, and Tim Maleeny. I look forward to reading this blog every day. It is a virtual panel where each of the authors responds to the same question - a new question is posed each week. From questions like "Do you control your characters or do they control you?" to "What characters would you most like to see in a cage match?" This blog is never boring! The second blog I want to mention is The Outfit. This is a group of authors representing Chicago. It includes ten different authors: Sean Chercover, Libby Hellmann, Marcus Sakey, Sara Paretsky, Laura Caldwell, David Ellis, Barbara D'Amato, Michael Allen Dymmoch, Kevin Guilfoile, and David Heinzmann. And here you can find any kind of post from some of crime fiction's greats. Again, it's never boring on The Outfit!

There are so many more blogs that deserve recognition on this day. Blogs that didn't make the short lists. But I wanted these particular blogs to know that they are on my short list every single day! Thank you for all your hard work! Happy Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

Note: I usually try to post just once a day, but for this week's celebrations, I'll have an additional post later today. Hope you don't mind.

STILL LIFE - Louise Penny

After many years, Jane Neal, a former school teacher, has finally decided to enter her art in the local event. She's never shown her art to anyone, not even those closest to her but she has decided to enter her "Fair Day" piece in the contest. But Jane will never see her work revealed. When she is found dead in the woods of the small town of Three Pines on Thanksgiving, her death is believed to be a hunting accident. However, when Chief Inspector Armand Gamache comes in with his team to investigate, he begins to believe there is more to Jane's death than meets the eye.

This is yet again another series I'm late to the game on. But this is definitely a case of "better late than never." I'm thrilled to have finally found myself in the town of Three Pines. If murder and mayhem can be deemed delightful, Louise Penny has definitely achieved it.

The title of this book may be STILL LIFE, but the characters are far from a flat representation. They are amazingly dimensional and their intertwining lives make the absence of even one seem unfathomable. In many police procedurals the focus lies primarily on the investigator. Not so in STILL LIFE. Armand Gamache and Jean Guy Beauvoir, as well as the rather arrogant Yvette Nichol, are important roles in the plot. But they aren't the sole, main focus. And that approach adds more depth to the other characters of Three Pines.

Olivier and Gabri are an absolute stitch. I want to spend my days in their bistro simply to watch: watch the people, watch the life. And if I were really lucky, I could join in as well.

As much as I enjoy character, this book isn't simply a collection of wonderful character. There is a rich depth to the plot that takes it beyond good to the realm of excellent. A plot that keeps you engaged and on the edge waiting to find out what happens next. There is wonderful symbolism and a theme that definitely focuses on seeing what is right in front of you. Add in Penny's fantastically dry humor and you have hours of engaging entertainment at the tips of your fingers.

I listened to STILL LIFE on audio book read by Ralph Cosham. I'm not sure if it is the amazing writing, his reading or a combination of both that brought Three Pines to life in my car for a week. The type of audio book that makes you want to drive around the block a couple more times than you actually have to. Cosham's dialects and pronunciations were magnificent; inflections and tone were precisely placed and never overused. This is a stellar recording and I highly recommend it.

STILL LIFE was published in 2006 by St. Martin's Minotaur Books, and the audio recording was produced by Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Six-Word Memoirs - Lucky Week 7

Welcome back to Week 7 of "You Have the Right to Six Words!" Today I'll be recapping only one author from a previous interview. I'm trying to spread them out since you all demanded more than 10 weeks. I will deliver. We won't have enough recaps, but I'm sure you won't mind if I fill in the slots with new memoirs when we run out of recaps. We have a loaded list of authors today, so let's get started!

The author I will be recapping today is Michael Lister. If you didn't see his interview, you should really take a minute to go back and check it out. What an amazing human being, and to be a gift writer as well simply astounds me. Michael is the author of a series of books with John Jordan, a prison chaplain. He also authors short stories, plays, and "Florida noir." Michael is a man of many talents that accent his writing. He directs plays, writes reviews for books and movies, edits a newspaper, and teaches religion and writing classes at the Gulf Coast Community College.


This September Michael will release a book he is extremely proud of, DOUBLE EXPOSURE. DOUBLE EXPOSURE is the story of a photographer who accidentally captures a crime on film. He soons finds himself hunted like an animal. Michael is hoping to bring attention to the conservation of the Apalachicola River basin. He will be donating all the proceeds of DOUBLE EXPOSURE to environmental protection and conservation. DOUBLE EXPOSURE will also be one of the very first books published by new publishing company Tyrus.

Michael Lister is truly an artist who is constantly giving back to the world around him. So his memoir couldn't possibly be anything less than

Passionate, compassionate, seeker, open to life.

Wow! It's kind of hard to go on from there, isn't it? But let's try. We have three new authors this week, and they are all extremely talented writers. Of course they are, after all, this is "Memoirs of Crime Fictions Greatest Writers"!

First up this week, I would like to introduce a lovely Canadian author whose career started out in journalism and radio, then moved on to writing award-winning, best-selling books that take place primarily in and around the village of Three Pines in Quebec. Of course you know I'm talking about Louise Penny! I probably don't have enough space to include all the awards Louise's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels have been nominated for so let's settle for highlighting the fact that THE CRUELEST MONTH won the Agatha Award for best novel and has been nominated for the Anthony Award, the Macavity Award, AND the Barry Award for best novel. Whew! In October, Gamache, Beauvoir, and the gang will return in THE BRUTAL TELLING.

Louise, of course, has my undying devotion because of her devotion to her golden retrievers. But Louise also shares her life with a very special person. And she does an incredible job of articulating that on her website. I couldn't do their relationship justice here so, I encourage you to check it out. But I can tell you that special person, Michael, inspired Louise's memoir and in six words, she's shared a million:

Michael kissed me when we met...

As a little side note, Louise shared with me that her memoir is a paraphrase of the first line of James Leigh Hunt's poem Rondeau.

Next up, I'm excited to say Brett Battles is joining in on the fun. Brett is the author of the Jonathan Quinn series about a man who makes things "pretty" when events don't go as planned. He's THE CLEANER. The third book in this series, THE SHADOW OF BETRAYAL, was released yesterday. And a connection to one of last week's memoirists, Brett also has a short story in KILLER YEAR.

Brett calls Southern California home but does quite a bit of traveling to such places as Ho Chi Minh City, Berlin, Singapore, London, Paris, and Bangkok. Yeah, I think that qualifies as world traveler, don't you? And in all of these places he's seeking inspiration for his novels. He says he finds it "anywhere and everywhere." So, his memoir should come as no surprise:

Explorer, both through and around life.

And finally our fourth author for this week is Hank Phillipi Ryan. It's a challenging to capture this woman in a short bio. She's done so much, accomplished so many things. She's amazing! Not only did she win the Best First Novel Agatha Award for PRIME TIME, her first Charlotte McNally mystery about a top-notch TV reporter, but she's also won 26 Emmys (among gads of other awards) for her work in television news reporting. Leading up to these two careers, Hank has worked as a radio reporter, a legislative aide in the United States Senate, and in a two-year stint in Rolling Stone Magazine's Washington Bureau; she worked on the political column "Capitol Chatter" and organized presidential campaign coverage for Hunter S. Thompson.

And like Michael, this is an author who gives back. She is vice-president of the Lyric Stage of Boston where she founded the "First Curtain" program. This program provides theater experiences for underpriviledged students.

I do have to say that the accomplishment I'm most impressed with is her ability to make a soft-serve ice cream cone with a swirl on top. That skill she learned while working at Dairy Queen!

Hank's PRIME TIME was re-released at the end of June by MIRA and her third and newest Charlotte McNally novel, AIR TIME, will make its debut on August 25th.

Before I tell you Hank's memoir, I have to say that many of you have sent me emails or left comments here that have made this project so much fun. But you aren't the only ones who have been excited about it. So many of the authors contributing have been excited, too. And wow! All that excitement really fuels me. Well, Hank is one of those folks who really got excited. When I contacted her about this project, this is what she told me:

"Ever since I first heard about this 6 word thing, I've been fascinated. (And a little obsessed.) My favorite so far, (which I do wish I had thought of, and lust after because it's so perfect for me,) is 'English major. You do the math.' But since we must be original, mine might be: Working, hoping, trusting. And, wonderfully, happy. Or wait--how about: Are the black ones size nine? Or: Wishing for latte, will accept coffee. Or: Trying my best. And very grateful. Yeah, I especially like that one." So, that's what we'll go with:

Trying my best. And very grateful.

Hank, I am very grateful! To you and to Michael and Louise and Brett and all the other authors who have been excited and who took time to come up with 6-word memoirs. This project has truly been an absolute joy for me because of all of you - readers and writers, alike. THANK YOU! And come back next week! We aren't done, yet!

HAPPY READING!