A Twin Cities Native American bookseller (formerly incarcerated), her ex-cop husband, and their extended family and friends try to cope with a ghost, A Twin Cities Native American bookseller (formerly incarcerated), her ex-cop husband, and their extended family and friends try to cope with a ghost, the Covid-19 lockdown, the George Floyd riots, a new baby, and a hospitalization. The book is a bit weirder and less funny than the blurbs lead one to expect....more
A newly unemployed bookseller in Sweden accepts her pen pal's invitation to visit her in Iowa for a few weeks, but Sara arrives in Broken Wheel just aA newly unemployed bookseller in Sweden accepts her pen pal's invitation to visit her in Iowa for a few weeks, but Sara arrives in Broken Wheel just as Amy's funeral is concluding. Amy's nephew Tom and the other villagers insist she stay in Amy's house as planned. To keep busy, Sara creates a bookshop in Amy's closed store and begins distributing Amy's huge collection of books, while falling for Tom....more
Tedious -- until the twist 3/4 of the way through the book. I found that the dirty Irish slang made for particularly unpleasant reading: really overdoTedious -- until the twist 3/4 of the way through the book. I found that the dirty Irish slang made for particularly unpleasant reading: really overdone! I did enjoy the last quarter of the book. I just wish I'd known to speed-read the first 60-75%....more
The title, Shakespeare quotes beginning each chapter, and a cover showing a volume of Shakespeare, a stage, and the masks of comedy and tragedy all raThe title, Shakespeare quotes beginning each chapter, and a cover showing a volume of Shakespeare, a stage, and the masks of comedy and tragedy all raised expectations that were not met by this cozy mystery. The murder victim was an actor, but he was killed before doing more than stating an intention to start a local theater company, which had nothing to do with his death....more
I loved this book. It is not a mystery, in the traditional sense, although there is certainly a secret to be uncovered. Clay Jannon lose his design joI loved this book. It is not a mystery, in the traditional sense, although there is certainly a secret to be uncovered. Clay Jannon lose his design job in a recession and ends up working the overnight shift at an unusual San Francisco bookshop that caters mostly to members of a secret society trying to decode an ancient book. The print-computer interface is explored. ...more
After 50 years of searching through multiple dimensions, Alice Healey at last gets her husband Thomas Price back home to Buckley Township, Michigan--bAfter 50 years of searching through multiple dimensions, Alice Healey at last gets her husband Thomas Price back home to Buckley Township, Michigan--but only for a few hours before their help is required in NYC, where the Covenant is dangerously close to wiping out the underground dragon population....more
I'm not sure where to draw the lines--between a regular police procedural mystery and noir, between noir and horror--but this book is not for the fainI'm not sure where to draw the lines--between a regular police procedural mystery and noir, between noir and horror--but this book is not for the faint-hearted. Lindsay Boxer begins the book ready to have her final session with the SFPD psychologist and ends it needing many more sessions. Uncomfortably dark for me....more
This hilarious homage to Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat won Hugo and Locus Awards and was also nominated for a Nebula Award. In it, Ned Henry This hilarious homage to Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat won Hugo and Locus Awards and was also nominated for a Nebula Award. In it, Ned Henry has been sent from 2057 Oxford back in time on the trail of the bishop's bird stump, a hideous iron flower holder that disappeared around the time of the WWII firebombing of Coventry Cathedral. However, that seems to be linked to events in June 1888 at a Victorian country house where fellow time-traveler Verity Kindle seems to be trapped....more
I found this quite an interesting memoir, but in an unusual format. My difficulty with it was chiefly that the real meat of the book is in the extensiI found this quite an interesting memoir, but in an unusual format. My difficulty with it was chiefly that the real meat of the book is in the extensive footnotes, printed in very fine type, hard on my eyes. Even worse, the asterisks and other symbols denoting footnotes are so teensy that I often missed them. Sometimes I never did find the item in the main body of the page to which a footnote belonged. Very confusing!...more
The narrative, though not the story, begins with the graduation of two young women, Fiona Arsenault and Harriet Landers, as engineers. The latter is tThe narrative, though not the story, begins with the graduation of two young women, Fiona Arsenault and Harriet Landers, as engineers. The latter is the niece of Three Pines bookshop owner Myrna, the former psychotherapist. Fiona did most of her degree work while in prison, through an arrangement by Chief Inspector Gamache. An unusual painting found in a bricked-up room helps uncover a revenge plot that threatens the lives of the whole Gamache family....more
This cold case from WWII stirs up unhappy memories for Supt. Jury, who lost his father in the fighting of the war and his mother in the Blitz. HoweverThis cold case from WWII stirs up unhappy memories for Supt. Jury, who lost his father in the fighting of the war and his mother in the Blitz. However, there are also some lovely light moments: Christmas shopping and parties, encounters with children Benny (and his dog Sparky) and Gemma (and her doll Richard), but the ending is shocking....more
They'd heard about each other before they met and liked one another even less than expected. Two years later, NYC literary agent Nora Stephens has beeThey'd heard about each other before they met and liked one another even less than expected. Two years later, NYC literary agent Nora Stephens has been dragged to a small town near Asheville, NC, for a month-long vacation before younger sister Libby's third child is born. Who should be there trying to keep his mother's bookshop afloat but detested super-editor Charlie Lasta? Funny and heart-wrenching. While most of the book is set in North Carolina, a goodly portion of it is a love letter to New York City. ...more
Exquisitely written and creatively plotted, this was an amazing book, yet a harder slog to get through than the reviews had prepared me for. Also, I hExquisitely written and creatively plotted, this was an amazing book, yet a harder slog to get through than the reviews had prepared me for. Also, I had some trouble with confusing Julian's lover Penelope, Daniel's girlfriend Beatriz, and Nuria, who loved Julian....more
I can see why this juvenile mystery won the age-appropriate Agatha and Edgar awards. I especially enjoyed the Hyde Park setting, with the field trip tI can see why this juvenile mystery won the age-appropriate Agatha and Edgar awards. I especially enjoyed the Hyde Park setting, with the field trip to the Art Institute. Young amateur sleuths Petra and Calder have their 12th birthdays in the course of the action when, inspired by their excellent, questioning teacher at the Lab School of the University of Chicago, they are able to track down and recover a priceless Vermeer painting that was stolen on its way to the Art Institute....more
A friend whose widowhood led her to take a job at an isolated North Carolina house to organize a collection of rare herbals needs an investigator on hA friend whose widowhood led her to take a job at an isolated North Carolina house to organize a collection of rare herbals needs an investigator on her side when the prize book of the collection goes missing and the local police can't see beyond the newcomer with access. China Bayles finds one of her local suspects shot in his bookshop and also has to contend with a spring snowstorm for which she is unprepared. Pleasant and informative, but not one of the author's best....more
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