State of the Onion

State of the Onion Julie Hyzy

Last month, the library had an edible books contest. For prizes, I gave away books about food and asked Twitter what were the best food-based cozies out there. A lot of people voted by Hyzy's "White House Chef Mystery" series, so I picked up the first one as a prize. I was intrigued enough by the title that I couldn't resist reading it, too.

Olivia Paras is an assistant White House chef. The Executive Chef is about to retire, and Olivia is one of the final candidates for his job. Her main competition is a TV celebrity chef that Olivia's worked with before-- and does not want to work with again. If she gets the job, Olivia knows she'll be leaving the White House. But the drama and pressure is soon pushed to the side when Olivia is walking back to work and sees a guy fleeing from the Secret Service and clocks him with her frying pan. Suddenly, she's trying to figure out a massive conspiracy that may end up in someone assassinating the President. Before she can solve it, she gets a glimpse of the world's most feared assassin and then she's no longer trying to save the President's life, but her own.

This was a fun one. I liked the behind-the-scenes look at the White House staff and the kitchen-- the differences in preparing a simple lunch for the first family versus a major state dinner and all the planning that happens. I liked the tension between Olivia and the new head of Culture-and-Faith-based Etiquette Affairs (he's such a jerk!!!)

I also liked her secret Secret Service boyfriend and the tension between them as Olivia got herself more involved with the case that he kept trying to push her off of. Overall it was very enjoyable and I didn't guess the ending. The bad guy was on my list of possible bad guys, but there was enough in there that I kept guessing on my choices. It was also often funny-- I especially liked when we finally meet the celebrity chef that Olivia is competing with. I think this is a series I'll continue reading.

Also-- do you have any good cozy recs? Mysteries, especially cozies are HUGE with the adults at my library, and now that I'm the adult librarian, I need to up my reader's advisory game. Leave 'em in the comments if you've got 'em.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Bride Wore Size 12

The Bride Wore Size 12 Meg Cabot

For once, everyone WANTS to live in Death Dorm! Heather’s a little unsure what to make of Fisher Hall’s new popularity, but she knows what’s caused it-- the Crown Prince of Qalif, Rashid, has moved in.

Everyone wants to get close to the playboy prince! (Except, of course, Sarah, who’s livid that the college accepted his father’s huge donation to get him in, given Qalif’s human rights record…)

But when an RA turns up dead, things seem par for the course. Heather’s trying to keep peace in the dorm and solve a murder but her personal life is just as crazy-- the wedding is fast approaching and then… her mother shows up.

I LOVE HEATHER WELLS. I like how this one doesn’t focus on her weight as much. I love the university politics and Cooper’s sisters. I liked the wedding craziness and Heather's family drama. Mostly, I love the antics of Fischer Hall and how much Heather cares for the residents and her eye on their drama--not just the murders, but the day-to-day college drama of roommate fights, love, school, and living apart from your parents.

I’m so glad that Cabot started writing this series again. So much love for Heather.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Size 12 and Ready to Rock

I waited too long between reading and reviewing, so here's a mini-review!

Size 12 and Ready to Rock Meg Cabot

Woo-hoo! Heather Wells is back!

It’s summer at Fischer Hall, but just because school’s out doesn’t mean that Heather’s in for an easy summer. Heather’s ex-fiance and his new wife-- Jordan and Tracy, are hosting a summer camp for pop diva tweens (and, of course, filming a reality show about it.) Then the producer ends up dead with Tania as the obvious target. Cooper’s (Jordan’s brother and Heathers current fiance) is then hired to be Tania’s new bodyguard…

So, what summer vacation?

I mean, I love Heather Wells and this one doesn’t disappoint. I also like how much more depth and backstory we get to Tania in this one. It was also fun to see Heather with the tweens, as they’re… not college students.

Book Provided by... my wallet

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Who Could That Be at This Hour

Who Could That Be at This Hour? Lemony Snicket

When Lemony was a young man, he had an unusual schooling and apprenticed with a secret organization. Lemony purposely apprenticed himself to the worst option, thinking it would give him more time to work on a side-project, but he gets swept away to a weird town that used to be by the sea, but wasn't anymore, but still had a seaweed forest and weird times when you had to put on funny masks. There, they investigate a theft of an object that hasn't been stolen.

Like A Series of Unfortunate Events, most of the adults are clueless and just get in the way (the librarian's pretty good), but Lemony finds some kids to help. Until one double-crosses him. While the adventure wraps up, the ending only leaves more loose threads than we started with, and more questions which may or may not be the right ones and may or may not be answered.

If you're familiar with A Series of Unfortunate Events, you'll be familiar with the overall tone and mood of All the Wrong Questions. It's smart and sinister and rather odd, with a ton of references that younger readers won't understand (or even know they're missing, just as naming the librarian Qwerty.) I like that he kept all the vocabulary lessons. I am intrigued most by Moxie and Ellington. I'm not sure how I feel about Lemony as an actual character, as he still remains a bit shadowy, in spite of playing the lead.

I'm interested in seeing where this ends up going.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Cryer's Cross

Cryer's Cross Lisa McMann

Kendall has spent her entire life in Cryer's Cross, Montana. It's a small town of mostly potato farmers (Kendall's family included.) There are 24 people in her high school.

Last spring, Tiffany Quinn disappeared without a trace. This fall, Kendall's boyfriend Nico, is also gone.

Kendall has OCD. Everything must be just so. It also means that all the horrific possibilities of what happened to Tiffany or Nico replay in her head over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over. and over.

It also means that she knows the smallest details of everything. She knows that Nico was sitting at the same desk that Tiffany sat at last year. Kendall knows that the graffiti carvings that look like they've been there forever? They're new. And they're changing. She hears the voices calling to her.

Thirty five. One hundred. Thirty five. One hundred.

Overall, I liked the first 90% of it. It was spooky and tense. I loved how Kendall's OCD was a hinderance and a help. I also love that this book wasn't a book about Kendall's OCD. It was about something else entirely. I love that it's a small town that ISN'T full of quirky characters. The interjections of the desks in between chapters at first was really weird, but at the end added to the scariness. I loved the depiction of how hard small town life can be. With Tiffany and Nico gone, when the new girl Marlena breaks her leg, the soccer season is cancelled because even though it's a co-ed, there are no longer enough people to make a full team.

I'm not sure how I felt about Kendall's relationship with new boy (Marlena's older brother Jacian). On one hand Kendall and Nico were dating because they had been best friends since they were born and it just seemed natural and Jacian makes her heart race... after Nico's disappearance (and not only as her boyfriend, but also her oldest and best friend) it seemed a bit... fast.

My big beef though, is with the end. It's rushed and totally anti-climatic. What was going on was really cool and FREAKY, but how McMann lets the readers know is a let-down. It just falls apart a bit. Which is sad because it had such promise and the majority of the book was SO GOOD.


ALSO, THE COVER. The one at the top of the review is the paperback cover. UGH. It makes it look like a KISSING BOOK. This is not a kissing book. So, it'll disappoint those looking for a kissing book and it won't get picked up by a lot of people because of it. The original hardcover with the spooky desk? SO MUCH BETTER. I think it represents the book much better and will appeal to more readers. Ah well.

Book Provided by... the publisher at a lovely dinner with McMann, at ALA Midwinter a few years ago.

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Her Royal Spyness

Her Royal Spyness Rhys Bowen

Georgie's in some trouble. Her late father gambled away their family money and her brother, thinking she'd be married by now, has completely cut her off from their limited funds. And, of course, Georgie is actually Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, daughter of a Duke and 34th in line to the throne, which means she can't do anything as common as getting a job (even though she tries.) When someone claiming to hold the deed to her ancestral home shows up dead in her bathtub, it's up to Georgie to find to real killer, and fast. But first she must spy for the queen (on the Prince's new and completely unsuitable girlfriend) and avoid being married off to a rather horrid Romanian prince. Oh! And of course, a completely unsuitable Irish (and Catholic!) minor royal who just happens to make Georgie's knees go completely weak.

A very fun mystery that takes place in London between the wars. More Wodehouse than Winspear, Georgie's first person narrative is hilarious. I love the light-hearted chicklit feel without the invented self-doubt drama. Georgie gets herself in plenty of pickles, but she has courage, a clear head, and the ability to laugh at herself. Plus, fabulous frocks, house parties, learning to use the coal chute, and lots of summons from the Queen herself. Like, if Heather Wells had her act a bit more together, and was royal, and lived in the 1930s. Which all adds up to make her a favorite main character.

Lucky for us, this is a series, so there's plenty more Georgie to come!

Book Provided by... my local library

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Birds of a Feather

Birds of a Feather Jacqueline Winspear

This is the second book in the Maisie Dobbs series. Maisie's new client is a very wealthy businessman. Having worked his way up from the bottom, he now owns a national chain of upscale supermarkets. His socialite daughter has gone missing. Charlotte has run away before, but Mr. Waite would like her brought home before the press gets ahold of it, which is why he contacted Maisie.

When Maisie starts digging, she finds very conflicting views of Charlotte. She also discovers that her school friends are turning up dead, and they shared a terrible secret. The case is no longer simple.

Along the way, Billy's up to something strange and Maisie must deal with a change in the relationship with her father.

Since we got Maisie's backstory in the first book, this one doesn't have the same flash-back dual narrative. Winspear instead adds several subplots, but none of these hold the same tension as Maisie's backstory and so it didn't flow in the same way and some parts dragged a bit.

That said, I did still really like it. I think it's a wonderful look at how long the scars of war (both visible and invisible) last. We so rarely see something that examines how a nation and society at large continues to be affected by something like WWI. And while these books aren't about the war, they really are about the effects of it. We also start to see how the worsening economy at the start of the Depression is playing out in London.

I also enjoyed the mystery itself. It quickly becomes apparent that something else is going on besides a petulant daughter running away but it takes several twists and turns before Maisie (or the reader) can figure out where it's going. Both Charlotte and her father are difficult characters to understand and decipher, which makes their actions (and therefore the mystery) more layered than they initially appear.

I'm very much looking forward to reading the next one in the series

Book Provided by... my local library

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Maisie Dobbs

Maisie Dobbs Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs is a private detective who uses her knowledge of human emotion and body language to help her solve her cases. She used to be the assistant and protege of the greatest in the field. He's retired and Maisie's trying to take up the mantle, which is hard when you're a woman in inter-war London.

Maisie's first case is simple enough--a man knows his wife is gone for long stretches during the day when he's at work. He worries that she's cheating on him and wants Maisie to find out what's going on. Maisie solves the case easily enough but it leads her to something deeper. The Retreat seems harmless enough--originally it was a place where men with horrible facial wounds from the war could live together and away from the stares and comments of the general public. Eventually it opened up to any WWI vet who had visible or invisible wounds from the war that made them want to get away. But something about the Retreat seems a bit off to Maisie, and so she finds a way to discover more about it.

Throughout the mystery we get Maisie's back story-- her years in service, her time at University, her apprenticeship with Maurice, her own services in the war as a nurse and the wounds she carries from that.

Oh my, how I loved it!

Regulars know I'm a sucker for anything WWI related. I also love that it really looked into the after effects of the war, especially dealing with the horrible facial wounds and scarring.

I loved how it wove Maisie's back story in with the mystery.

I loved the side characters, especially Priscilla. How can you not love a character that gives us the following line? Dear God, give me a drink that bites back and good tale of love and lust any day of the week.

Most of all, I loved Maisie herself, and how she went from a working class girl to where she is now, how she struggled with her new place in society and the effects it had on her and those around her. I also loved her struggle with her own memories and experiences of the war and how much baggage she is still carrying around.

Her way of solving the case reminded me a bit of Poirot. (Thinking things through a lot.) It reads like a cozy, but the issues it brings up are much deeper and more serious than the cozies I'm used to reading.

Luckily for me, it's a series, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Traitor in the Tunnel

The Traitor in the Tunnel Y. S. Lee

Everyone's favorite Victorian spy is back!

Mary's now a full-fledged member of the agency. She thinks her first assignment is a bit well... boring. She's posing as a housemaid in Buckingham Palace because someone is stealing random trinkets from the Blue Room.

BUT! It quickly heats up-- a known rogue was murdered in a Limehouse opium den, right in front of the crown prince. They immediately arrested a Chinese opium addict. Mary convinces the agency to let her stay on at the palace to see if the man was actually guilty or arrested solely because he was Chinese. She doesn't tell them her real interest in the case-- he has the same name as her long-missing, presumed-dead father.

AND! To make matters even more confusing, James is back on the scene, working on the sewers under the palace.

I love Mary and her secrets and double life. I loooooooooooooooooooove the chemistry between her and James.

I initially thought this would be a series, and it wraps up deliciously, with all the loose ends tied but with the promise of new adventure on the horizon. BUT! We're so lucky-- there will be more.

I continue to adore the way Lee writes historical fiction. She paints her Victorian world so well and with so much detail (her description of the sewers is fantastic) but it never overwhelms or detracts from the actual story. I also really liked her portrait of Queen Victoria-- fun and stern mother with her family, but proper and commanding Queen when needed. Lee gives her depth and complexity, even though she's a minor character that doesn't get much page-time.

This is a series that just gets better and better. The mystery isn't as exciting in this one, but Mary's personal journey is.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery Agatha Christie

In case you aren't familiar with the basic plot, Poirot is on a train from Istanbul to Paris when the train gets stopped in Yugoslavia by snow on the tracks. There's a murder and they don't want to bring in the Yugoslav police (commies!) until they've already solved it. Poirot quickly determines that most of the passengers are all connected with a crime that took place in the US many years ago (and not at all based on the Lindbergh baby).

I like the twist on the contained environment, but you don't get a sense of the claustrophobia that must have been there-- train cars stuck in snow with murder? There should have been more tension, but that's not Christie's style. What I find most ingenious about Christie's work isn't how her detectives solve the crimes but rather in ingenuity of her criminals. Poirot just kinda sits back and thinks through details only he's noticed. But the real genius of Christie is how intricate the murder plots are.

Book Provided by... my local library for my Kindle!

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Jinx

Jinx Grave Cavendish

Huzzah for Lady Grace.

In this most excellent historical mystery, Grace and the other ladies are off to St. Bartholomew’s fair. While there, a tent burns down, killing a gypsy woman and severely burning Lady Sarah. Unfortunately, the apothecary that the Queen has brought in to treat Lady Sarah is a fraud. Grace knows this, but has to prove it.

An excellent look at health care, race relations, superstitions and omens at Court. Plus, a wonderful mystery story. I especially loved the humor of the Spanish delegation visiting court-- Grace’s complaints about the women and the Queen’s reactions to the men were great.

Love this series so much. I’m sad that the last few were never published in the States and even in England, it looks like publication stopped with Loot. :(

Book Provided by... my wallet

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Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee

Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee (Dee Goong An) (Detective Stories) trans. Robert Van Gulik

Judge Dee is a classic character in Chinese lit. Based on a real magistrate, the cases he solved and the legend surround him grew over the years. Think Sherlock Holmes, Perry Mason, and Law and Order all rolled into one guy.

In this book, Robert Van Gulik takes some Judge Dee stories that he thinks are the most accessible to Western audiences (so, no calling household objects as witnesses, which does happen in Chinese mysteries) and translates them. There's extensive introductory notes and footnotes, too. Van Gulik did this translation during WWII, when the war prevented him from doing his more academic research. I like that he found a way to

Van Gulik really wanted Judge Dee to find a Western audience. The original Chinese tales didn't take off as well as he hoped, so he wrote a bunch of new ones with Judge Dee as the main character. This, however, is an original Chinese one.

There are three murder mysteries in this book. I like how when he's working on one, another one pops up, so even though the mysteries aren't related, he's solving all of them at once.

In addition to the glimpses of Tang Dynasty life, and the traditional Chinese court system (detectives are judges, torturing a confession out is totally legit, etc) they're just intriguing mysteries with ingenious solutions.

Highly recommended to fans of Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, and other older, classic mysteries.

I own most of the Judge Dee mysteries and can't wait to work my way through them.


Book Provided by... my bookshelf. Somewhere along the line I acquired used copies of most of Van Gulik's Judge Dee books.

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Haunted

Haunted Grace Cavendish

Long time readers may remember how much I adore the Lady Grace Mysteries. They are historical fiction done right-- lots of excellent detail that never gets in the way of a wicked good plot.

In this one, Elizabeth’s court is on progress for the summer. At one estate, the owner is building a new manor house, but a spooky figure keeps appearing, stopping work. Is it a murdered earl? Or is it another noble trying to shame a rival in front of the Queen?

I especially liked how this one takes place outside of London. We still don’t see the Elizabethan England that most of it’s citizens saw, but it’s nice to occasionally leave the walls of Whitehall and see the countryside, and not just because it’s summer, so London is full of plague.

Book Provided by... my wallet. It's not available in the US, but you can order from the link above for a good price with free international shipping.

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Heather Wells

Heather Wells Mysteries Meg Cabot

I thought I'd review all three books with one review. The books in question are Size 12 Is Not Fat, Size 14 Is Not Fat Either, and Big Boned.

Basic backstory-- Heather Wells was a mid-list teen idol who was engaged to Jordan, one of the biggest teen stars (whose father also happened to own the record label.) When Heather wanted to start recording and singing her own music, the label and her fiance dropped her. Her mother then took all of her money and moved to Argentina. Heather is now living with Cooper, rent-free (well, she has to do the filing for his PI business). Cooper is the black sheep of his family and Jordan's older brother. Heather totally has the hots for him. She's also working as the assistant dorm-director to a private dorm of New York College because she will be able to take free classes so she can earn her college degree. She's also no longer teen pop-star thin. She's a size 12.

In Size 12 is Not Fat the dorm has a problem with elevator surfing (where guys break into the elevator shaft and ride the elevators and jump to other elevators...) When a student shows up dead at the bottom of the shaft, everyone rights it off as an elevator surfing accident. Except... Heather knows her students. Girls like the deceased don't elevator surf (in fact girls in general don't elevator surf.) More and more students are dying in "accidental" ways. Heather smells something fishy and if no one else is going to try to discover what's going on, she will.

In Size 14 Is Not Fat Either, Christmas (and winter in general) has caused Heather to go up a size. Then a cheerleader's head shows up boiled in a pot in the cafeteria. A little digging shows that Lindsey wasn't as nice as she seemed and the frat boys she hung around with are also some of campus's biggest dealers and might have something even more sinister going on... To top it all off, Heather's dad is out of jail and moving in to the brownstone...

Big Boned finds Heather with a new boss, who (of course) ends up with a bullet through his head. The main suspect is the leader of the gradute students union, who is protesting for grad student rights (and health insurance.) He's also Heather's assistant's boyfriend and very into nonviolent protest. Heather's looking into other possibilities and uncovering all sorts of ickiness along the way. Not to mention her new boyfriend who wants her to do things like... go running.

The good: This has Cabot's trademark charm and humor. I love the secondary characters in this one, especially Magda (the cafeteria lady) and Reggie (the neighborhood drug dealer who keeps an eye out for Heather, both for information to help her solve crimes and to make sure that she gets home safely.) Cabot also writes a good mystery-- it has just enough suspense and the she keeps you guessing on who the rampaging murderer is.

The annoying: If I lived Heather's lifestyle, I would be a size 22, not a size 12. She eats crap (all those Oreos!) and does things like take baths because standing up to take a shower is too taxing. SERIOUSLY? She's very into proclaiming that the average American woman is a size 12, but that wouldn't be true if the average American woman had Heather's diet and activity level. And it's annoying because it paints people who are slightly overweight as fat and lazy, which is annoying but not annoying enough to keep me from loving the series.

The plot points that stretch across the books are wrapped up in Big Boned. As that came out in 2007, most readers assumed the series would be a trilogy but Cabot has said on her blog that a fourth Heather Wells mystery will be out in 2012. YAY! I'm excited.

Book Provided by... bookmooch, my local library, my wallet

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Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles Sir Conan Doyle

So, this was my very first Sherlock Holmes novel. Holmes and Watson are off to the countryside to investigate a death that looks like an ancient curse come to roost. In revenge for an ancient wrong, the Hound of the Baskervilles will bring death to whomever owns Baskervilles Hall. The latest was found dead, apparently of freight, with large animal prints all around him. His heir would like answers before taking possession. Holmes is very skeptical of such things and he explores the marshes and moors to discover the truth...

I really liked this! It was very fun because one of my regulars had this on her summer reading log and I was like, wait, I just read that, too! That was one of my few adult books, but you're 12! (Not that it isn't an appropriate title for a strong reader of that age like she is, but when I finally read an adult book but can only discuss it with a child? The irony amused me.)

But it's nice and spooky and atmospheric and an excellent mystery. While I still enjoyed it while reading it in June at the optometrist, it would be an excellent book for a late fall or winter night. I love how Holmes riddles things out and keeps Watson in the dark the whole time. I must read more!

Book Provided by... my local library

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A Spy in the House

The Agency 1: A Spy in the House Y.S. Lee

Immediately after being sentenced to the gallows at the age of 12, Mary Lang is spirited away by the warden where she ends up at Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for girls. In Victorian London, options for women are limited, and Miss Scrimshaw's tries to give girls that best chance they have to make their own way.

So, five years later, when Mary (who has changed her last name to Quinn, as Mary Lang is still a wanted criminal) isn't satisfied with any of the options available to her, she feels guilty and selfish-- Miss Scrimshaw's has given her everything-- who is she to say that it isn't enough?

But Miss Scrimshaw's Academy has one more ace up its sleeve-- The Agency. The Agency are spies for hire. Taking full advantage of women's role in society, they're allowed to go places and overhear things men aren't.

Mary's first job is to pose as a lady's companion in the house of a man suspected of smuggling Indian goods. But, nothing is as it seems. Mary's not the only person looking into Thorold's financial dealings. The daughter has her own thing going. The deeper Mary gets in the case, the darker and more dangerous she gets and the closer she comes to the really big secrets of her past (and no, not the fact that she's an escaped convict sentenced to hang.)

First off, OMG love. I CANNOT wait until The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower comes out in August.

I really liked how the female characters are strong and biting against societal conformities while still seeming historically accurate-- they don't openly rebel, they know their place, but find ways around the rules.

I also loved James, the engineer who's also digging around in the Thorold case in order to save his brother from a disastrous match.

Craft-wise, I loved the way that the omniscient third-person narrator changes focus between Mary and James, to further flesh out and add to the mystery and action of the puzzle. Also, this works as a stand-alone novel. I want to read the next one because I love the premise and Mary, not because it was a 335-page lead-up to a sucker-punch of a cliffhanger.

Overall, really super awesome. The plot took a million little twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more, more, more. It kept me up waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay past bedtime.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Hour 45

Hours Spent Reading: 30
Books Read: 9
Pages Read: 2532
Money Raised: $719.54
What I'm listening to: 2 Become 1

Please remember that I'm reading to raise money for Room to Read, which builds libraries, stocks them with books, and trains people to become their librarians.

Intrigue Grace Cavendish

Ok. We've reached the point of the night where I have to read the same page multiple times.

When the Queen finds out about a new play where the audience has to solve a murder mystery, she can't wait for the troupe to be summoned to court and instead has everyone go to the Inn to see it right away. But, when the play's murder victim is actually murdered, things change.

It seems pretty straight-forward, so the Queen doesn't think there's any further investigation needed, but something doesn't seem right to Grace, so she's on the case!

I especially loved the description of what London Bridge looked like.

I do love love love this series so much. I'm sad they didn't gain enough popularity in the States to keep publishing them here.

Book Provided by... my wallet

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Hour 40.5

Hours Spent Reading: 25.5
Books Read: 7
Pages Read: 2086
Money Raised: $707
What I'm listening to: Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)

Please remember that I'm reading to raise money for Room to Read, which builds libraries, stocks them with books, and trains people to become their librarians.

The Clue in the Diary Carolyn Keene

Oh Nancy, you're so funny. There are two mysteries-- a poor (but clean!) mother and daughter that Nancy and her friends meet at a carnival. The father is off looking for work and supposed to send money, but they haven't heard from him.

On the way home, they see a house burn down. The house belongs to a very rich, but not well-liked character. OF COURSE THE MYSTERIES ARE RELATED!

But! This is the book where Nancy meets Ned! And how! He's moving her car away from the spreading house fire and she thinks he's trying to steal it.

I listened to the first part of this and that was awesome, because all the over-drama was underscored with crazy sound effects and lots of dramatic music. I think I'm going to have to listen to more Nancy Drews for the Nancy Drew challenge. Also, it was narrated by Laura Linney and how can you NOT love Laura Linney?!

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Swan Thieves

The Swan Thieves Elizabeth Kostova

This sprawling book encompasses three story lines. Robert Oliver is a gifted artist who is arrested for trying to attack a painting at the National Gallery. He is checked into a psychiatric residential center under the care of Dr. Marlow. Robert only says "I did it for her" and gives permission for the doctor to talk to anybody, and then says nothing else for months. He does however, read and reread a packet of old letters and draws and paints the same face over and over again.

So, first storyline is Marlow telling to story of trying to solve this mystery that Robert presents. The second storyline is that of the letters-- letters written between a French housewife and her husband's uncle in the 1870s. Eventually, these interspersed letters switch over to full chapters, to give the reader information not contained in the letters. The third storyline is that of Robert's life before the attack. Marlow visits the women Robert has loved, and who loved him, who fill Marlow in on the details of what led up to the event.

As far as the mystery goes, the book fails. It was painfully obvious what was going on hundreds of pages before Marlow figures anything out, but I didn't mind, because Kostova is such a gifted writer and storyteller, I had to keep reading. The basic plot is a basic mystery that's easily solved by the reader, but the book is actually a portrait of many people and how their lives touch, or don't. It's not as "OMG AWESOME" (or complicated) as The Historian, but I still loved it dearly. I would only recommend it, however, to patient readers.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Hercule Poirot Mystery Agatha Christie

When the richest man in town is murdered, the suspect list is long and varied. Everyone had a motive, but very few (if any) people had a way. There are marriages of convenience, heirs who have been written out of wills, affairs, black mail, and random drug-addicted relatives from America. The town doctor is our narrator and he's happy to tag along and watch his new next-door neighbor, Hercule Poirot solve the case.

I never would have guessed whodunnit except that the back says "Setting up the traditional rules of mystery only to shatter them, Christie delivers her most controversial detective novel ever, and it still startles." Which made me think in directions my mind never would have gone. My inner dialogue was a lot of "She couldn't! She wouldn't! Would she? OMG she totally did." (To not confuse you, the "she" is Christie, not a character.) I also loved the doctor's spinster sister, who is the queen of mad theories and village gossip. I think every English village has one, and her character is so perfect for the book and Poirot and Christie both use her for excellent purposes.

That said, I still loved it. I don't read a lot of mysteries, especially for adults, but I do like all the Christie I have read and I'm really glad I joined the Marple/Poirot/Holmes challenge so I have an excuse to read at least 3 more Christie books this year!

Book Provided by... my local library

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