ARABESK - Barbara Nadel

Arabesk by Barbara Nadel

When you travel do you try to read books that relate to your destination?  I've done it a few times but it always had to do with Great Britain (surprise).   My friend, Liz, directed me to Barbara Nadel who writes murder mysteries that take place in Istanbul. I downloaded her book, Arabesk, to my Kindle and read it during my visit there last summer.

Lots of fun to read about real neighborhoods and sites in a fictional book as I roamed around Istanbul. The star of the series is Inspector Cetin Ikmen, who is home on medical leave and getting pretty antsy.  So his, protege, Mehmet Suleyman, is in charge of the newest murder investigation.  Normally, these exotic names would be hard to keep track of but they became the norm during my travels.

The story is about the murder of a young mom with connections to a famous music star and an aging actress.  Lots of interesting characters who I think are part of the series with a few side stories that also kept my attention. I'm needing an Istanbul fix so I will add another of Nadel's to my reading list.

WOLF HALL - Hilary Mantel

Taking a little break from nonstop posts about my recent summer travels to bring you a book review.

Okay--I'm a little late to the game.  Some of my favorite bloggers read Wolf Hall two years ago.  I finally started reading it last month and just finished.

It started out strong, and then I lost track of  few characters and suddenly after about 100 pages it all started clicking and it was hard to put down (even harder to hold since it is a little over 500 pages).  Rarely do I read historical fictions--I prefer the real thing.  But, boy, did Hilary Mantel get it right.  The fun part is she tricks you into forgetting that you do actually know how how it all ends.

The story focuses on Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII moving toward establishing the Church of England due to the king's desire to divorce his Queen, Katherine of Aragon, to marry the devious Anne Boleyn.  Brutal climate, intrigue, and enough historical facts to make you believe you know what's going on. Glad I read it.

My only complaint is the length of the book--532 pages. 

NECESSARY AS BLOOD - Deborah Crombie

I love this series! Of course, I have only read two (well, three, I read one several years ago but can't really remember much other than I liked it). But Mary's Library notes all the books are good in this series. I'm taking her word for it as I happily read through.

This is the 13th in the Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series by Deborah Crombie.  No Mark Upon Her (which I reviewed here) is Crombie's last book to date (#14).  Necessary as Blood is #13.  So, once again I read it out of order which didn't bother me a bit.

The story takes place in the East End of London where a beloved local  artist goes missing, her husband is found murdered months later, and the future of their sweet young daughter is unsure.  All this while Gemma and Duncan try to get married.

Not sure which book in the series I will read next, but I've downloaded book #1, A Share in Death, as well as #12 Where Memories Lie.

CAMBRIDGE BLUE - Alison Bruce

My friend, Lisa, recommended so I had a sample sent to my Kindle, finished reading the sample and immediately pressed "buy this book".  The opening chapter grabbed me and pushed me onward.

Cambridge Blue, written by Alison Bruce, is the first in a series depicting the young Gary Goodhew as a detective constable in Cambridge, England.  Fast paced, good plot, although I did figure out the murderer (which always makes me feel super smart) I still enjoyed the book.  More explicit than I usually read so fair warning if you prefer more glossing over of the details, if you know what I mean.

Also, the Kindle version has lots of mistakes which I probably should report to Amazon.

NO MARK UPON HER - DEBORAH CROMBIE

Another murder mystery series that some folks think should be read in order.  I didn't and still loved it.  No Mark Upon Her is a Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James detective mystery written in current time.  Kincaid is a Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent and his wife (finally!) Gemma James is a Detective Inspector from the Notting Hill police station in London.  Love these two.

This time, they are called in to resolve the case of another senior police officer who is found dead in the waters of the Thames while  training as a rower for the Olympics.  Very good stuff.  This series is well-written, not grisly or too graphic, and there is nice thread of personal relations between Kincaid and James that I enjoy.

Thanks to Mary's Library I'm going to read more of the books in this series working backwards.

THE HOUSE OF SILK - ANTHONY HOROWITZ

After hearing the very funny (and British) Anthony Horowitz speak at an author's luncheon here in Phoenix, I bought two of his books, one for me and one for a friend.  I was first impressed that Horowitz is the creator and writer of Foyle's War and I love that series.  You may be familiar with his other television creations such as Midsomer Murders and Poirot.  He also writes the popular Alex Rider novels (a teenage adventure series) which didn't ring a bell with me but has sold over 12 million books worldwide.  As you can see the guy is talented.

Horowitz was asked by the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate to write a new Sherlock Holmes novel. The House of Silk  is fast paced and the voices of Holmes and Watson ring true. Mycroft and Lestrade are involved as is Mrs. Hudson.  The plot is interesting which turns to disturbing when the real meaning of "The House of Silk" is revealed.

If you are a diehard Holmes fan, I think you will enjoy.

THEN AGAIN - Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is quirky and classic and I've always liked her acting--even when the movie was terrible. Her recently published  biography, Then Again, begins with excerpts from her mother's journals which Keaton uses throughout as a comparison of their two lives. She was very close to her mom and this book pays honor to her. I listened to this book on audio CD narrated by Diane Keaton which made it all the better. Keaton's voice at times was emotional but it always fit the subject matter (usually talking about her mom or dad).

This woman loves and enjoys her family--her parents, sisters, brother, and now her children.  I didn't realize Keaton grew up in Orange County, California.  She always struck me as the New York type.  It was fun to hear her mention various places around Orange County since I love the place and have been there a zillion times.

Keaton describes her relationships with Woody Allen, Al Pacino, and Warren Beatty with enough detail to make it interesting but always respectful. I would have loved more information about her success at restoring houses and more behind the scene stories from movie sets.  But all in all I enjoyed this book.

ARTISTS IN CRIME - Ngaio Marsh - Book Review

I had completely forgotten about Inspector Roderick (Rory) Alleyn until my friend Lisa reminded me.  Dame Ngaio Marsh wrote over 30 books with British detective Alleyn as the superstar.

I'm not one to necessarily read a series in order (which surprises me since I like order). Years ago I read Death in a White Tie written in the late 1930's and liked Marsh's style but then forgot about her.  Last year I enjoyed the book Last Ditch written in the late 70's which is about a drug smuggling case and includes Inspector Alleyn's son.

This year, I read Artists in Crime, the story that introduces Rory to his future wife, the painter Agatha Troy. What fun to see a very confident and sure of himself Alleyn get a little wobbly and doubtful when paired up with no nonsense Troy.  The story opens with Alleyn meeting Troy on a ship somewhere around Fiji.  It doesn't go well and they split once they return to England.  Their next meeting is rather grim.  A model posing for Troy's art class is murdered and every member of the class, including Agatha Troy, a suspect.  And, of course, Inspector Alleyn is assigned the case.

The detective work is interesting, the characters very well-developed (I could always tell who was doing the talking), and the usual folks that surround Alleyn are in force.  The relationship between Alleyn and his mother, Lady Alleyn, reminds me a bit of Lord Peter Wimsey and his mother, the Dowager Duchess of Denver.  A solid murder mystery, excellent returning characters, humor, and a bit of romance equals a good read.

KNIVES AT DAWN - Andrew Friedman - Book Review

My friend Liz gave this to me for my birthday so I jumped into the whole new crazy world of intense cooking competitions.  Wow.  I had no idea.

Knives at Dawn written by Andrew Friedman tells the story of well known chefs, Daniel Boulud and the French Laundry's Thomas Keller,  working to improve the United States chances of winning the Bocuse d'Or, considered to be the most prestigious cooking competition in the world, and one that heavily favors European chefs. It's about creative technique, taste, presentation, and timing. When you see that description in print it doesn't seem like such a big deal.  But it is and it takes months if not years to prepare.


What I found most interesting was the background of the chefs themselves.  Especially the ones I was more familiar with such as Boulud and Keller.  They in turn bow to the great French chef, Paul Bocuse, now 85 years old.

For as long as I can remember chefs have been treated like rock stars so I was surprised to read it was not always the case.   Friedman writes the following about Bocuse, "he is widely recognized as the first of his comrades to march proudly into the dining room to commingle with the clientele, an act of emancipation that helped his professional brethren migrate from the heat of the kitchen to the glare of the spotlights."

Quoting Alain Sailhac, another living French culinary legend, "We chefs and celebrity chefs owe so much to Bocuse; we were domestiques, now we are nobility," said Alain Sailhac.  "Sailhac remembers that when he was a young cook in France, before the Bocuse reformation, he would conceal his profession from young women he was courting; if forced to confess that he worked in a restaurant, he would claim that he was a chef de rang, or dining room captain, which had more cachet."

While this book is about the competition itself, it also covers the culture of some of the top kitchens and training of its staff.  There is also little tidbits such as this one, "in competition a combination of textures is essential: the three primary ones being 'crisp/cruchy, meaty, and soft.' By way of illustration, ....apple pie a la mode,..the most popular dessert in the world, has all three: the crust is crunchy, the apple is meaty, and the ice cream is soft."   Doesn't apple pie sound good right now?

If you are interested in the culinary world this book is worth reading.

WICKED AUTUMN - Malliet - Book Review

First, never read two murder mysteries in a row set in an English village with the vicar playing amateur detective.  I had to frequently stop to straighten out the characters and their backgrounds.  What was I thinking?

G.M. Malliet's Wicked Autumn was a fun read with a few of the characters a little too stereo-typed for my liking.  The over-bearing woman who terrorizes everyone into submission (has victim written all over her), the classic village gossip line, the flirty divorcee, etc.  But, I liked the vicar's background--former MI5 agent turned priest which added a new twist. And the plot was clever and clipped along pretty fast with a good wrap-up ending.

I read this on my Kindle and one of the downsides is that I couldn't easily skim through finding the quote I wanted to use in this review, so hence: no quotes. Bottom line: worth a quick read.

TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING - Benison

As is my usual practice, I finished a serious book and quickly jumped into some fiction. Specifically, a British cozy called Twelve Drummers Drumming by C.C. Benison.  I found this little gem from Mary's Library.

I've not read anything by Benison before (aka Doug Whiteway from Canada) and this book introduces us to Father Tom Christmas, the first in the Father Christmas mystery series.  A very likeable chap (as is usually the case in British cozies) who is recently widowed and is raising his nine year old daughter in the small English village of Thornford Regis.

There is a serious undertone to the story which I liked and the characters were not over blown.  And I figured out who the killer was early on (which made me feel super smart).  A worthwhile read.

CHARLES DICKENS: A LIFE - Tomalin - Book Review

Claire Tomalin knows how to write a biography, that's a fact. If you haven't read Tomalin's Jane Austen and Samuel Pepys biography, I hope you will.  Both were excellent.  Tomalin's books are well-researched, thoughtful, and she's good at putting all the pieces together.  But Charles Dickens A Life was a bit painful and I think it was because frequently Dickens was a monster (Samuel Pepys was no boy scout but I didn't have any expectations that he was). Dickens could also be more generous than anyone in his position.  Meaning he wasn't landed gentry, had a wife and ten kids to feed, parents and siblings to assist, yet he was always looking to help or mentor others when he wasn't being vindictive or cruel.

If you have this warm fuzzy picture of Charles Dickens in your mind and you don't want that to change, then don't read this or any other of his biographies.  The less known the better. The facts aren't pretty but they are very interesting. I'm sure you've heard people say, "you either love him (or her) or hate him", but in this case lots of people both loved and hated Dickens including his own children. 

What I liked was knowing how many failures Dickens had yet he kept writing.  Some books were genius (Great Expectations) others considered terrible, and still others considered half good, half worthless.  But he was good at his craft, believed in his ability, and so kept on going to produce some of the greats in English Literature. That's a good lesson for all of us attempting anything we believe worth doing.

His daughter, Katey, said to Bernard Shaw "that she wished someone would correct the prevailing view of Dickens as 'a joyous, jocose gentleman walking about the world with a plum pudding and a bowl of punch'." This book takes care of that wish.

THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES - Hawthorne - Book Review

Have you ever started a book without really knowing what it's about? My friend, Leslie, picked up this book while traveling through Salem, Massachusetts which triggered for me the recollection of its creepiness.  But I didn't really know what it was about and thought it was high time I read something by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Hawthorne has popped up in a couple of biographies I've read recently: he was part of Louisa May Alcott's circle; and his time in Paris was mentioned by David McCullough.

The story is definitely the creepy, gothic type but there is romance which isn't obvious until the end.  I would like to reread again with the romance in mind since I was concentrating on the spookiness.

 Here's a sample of Hawthorne's brilliant writing: "NEVER had the old house appeared so dismal to poor Hepzibah as when she departed on that wretched errand. There was a strange aspect in it. As she trode along the foot-worn passages, and opened one crazy door after another, and ascended the creaking staircase, she gazed wistfully and fearfully around. It would have been no marvel, to her excited mind, if, behind or beside her, there had been the rustle of dead people's garments, or pale visages awaiting her on the landing-place above."

Description of a brother and sister: "He had a winged nature; she was rather of the vegetable kind, and could hardly be kept long alive, if drawn up by the roots." Paints a picture, no? It's a classic for a reason.

THE BIRDING LIFE

I won a giveaway! Isn't that fun? Look at that gorgeous cover.  And the interior is just as pretty. Carol Sheehan, the author of The Birding Life, was featured on The Skirted Roundtable, my favorite podcast.  Three interior designers interview interesting people somehow connected to the design world and it is always great fun.

You may be familiar with our three hostesses:  Joni from Cote de Texas; Megan from Beach Bungalow 8; and Linda from Surroundings.  These three compliment each other very well and get the best guests!  Charlotte Moss? Yes.  Suzanne Rheinstein? Yes.  Suzanne Kasler? Yes.  Kathryn Ireland?  Of course.  The list goes on and on and there are more design icons to come.

Thank you to Carol Sheehan and the ladies at The Skirted Roundtable for my lovely book--prettily displayed in my library.

DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY - James - Book Review

I love an epilogue and a sequel is even better.  England's grande dame mystery writer P.D. James has written a follow-up to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Checking up on old friends is always fun and Baroness James provides a bit of an update in her prologue.  Then we are off and rolling with the family and staff of Pemberley preparing for the annual ball. Trouble is not far off which is where Baroness James really excels.

At times, James sounds just like Austen, "She consistently congratulated him on qualities he did not possess in the hope that, flattered by her praise and approval, he would acquire them” and at other times the lines don't quite ring true--but who cares?  It is good writing, a good plot, and a wrap-up that was more than I expected.  There is also a little Emma and Persuasion interwoven into the story which made me smile. 

P.D. James is 91 years old and her wit is reflected in her writing. The author added this note at the beginning of the book:  "I owe an apology to the shade of Jane Austen for involving her beloved Elizabeth in the trauma of a murder investigation, especially as in the final chapter of Mansfield Park Miss Austen made her views plain: “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore everybody not greatly in fault themselves to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest.” No doubt she would have replied to my apology by saying that, had she wished to dwell on such odious subjects, she would have written this story herself, and done it better."

Bravo to Baroness James.

THE ATTENBURY EMERALDS by Jill Paton Walsh

Yes, I finally finished a book!  I've been a bit laid up recently (but am now on the mend) and for some reason could not plow through my current read, Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin.  Which is a bummer since I had hoped to finish reading the 400 remaining pages!

However, light reading was no problem.  So, I loaded The Attenbury Emeralds onto my Kindle and read away.  As I've mentioned before, I have a crush on Lord Peter Wimsey and am so happy that Jill Paton Walsh has continued the series created by Dorothy Sayers.

The aftermath of World War II, missing emeralds, murders, and the Wimsey family keeping up with societal changes makes for a satisfying read.  I recommend.