The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Tao is a travelling fortune teller, but will only tell “small fortunes,”minor things that do make a difference but aren’t life-changing--usually. Not only do major predictions take a lot out of her, but they also draw unwanted attention.  Tao needs to keep a low profile, and that’s already difficult since she is a Shinn woman in Esthera. Then a small prediction has greater consequences than she expects, and she ends up with not one but two travelling companions:  a mercenary and thief (possibly reformed), who are not going to give up until her prediction comes true. . . if it does.

This was my choice for the “debut novel” for Book Bingo, though it could have gone for “judging a book by its cover” for that enticing drawing of a woman with a cat sitting on the steps of a brightly colored wagon under the stars. The cover is an accurate one, because this is a charming tale indeed.  I liked all the characters.  Tao is a brave and determined young woman who is trying to make her way in the world but is forced to keep a low profile or risk being commandeered into the Guild. Mash, the soldier is seeking his young daughter who was lost, probably kidnapped by raiders while his companion Silt is just along for the ride.  And possibly to lift a few valuables.  Reforming is a process, not something one can do cold turkey. They are soon joined by Leah, the baker’s apprentice, whose baked goods taste marginally better than they look.

While I can’t say that this book broke new ground, it is a fun and cozy fantasy full of adventure, characters we enjoy rooting for, a dash of romance, and family.  Tao has more than a few secrets of her own, and there’s a whole backstory to gradually unravel.  Leong has some points to make and she does so elegantly and without fanfare. There’s humor and heart in this book, and I’d be ready to join in on another adventure should one be in the offing.  

And yes, there is really a cat with a role to play!

Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalauddin

 

Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalauddin

Reviewed by Jeanne

After a tragedy, Kausar Khan left Toronto and had never thought to return.  She and her husband had built a life in North Bay, away from friends, family, and most of all, reminders.  Even after her husband passed away, Kausar was unwilling to consider returning until she got a phone call that her daughter Sana is in trouble—and not just simple trouble.  There has been a murder in Sana’s boutique.

While Kausar knows her daughter would not had committed murder, she comes not only to help with the household but to ask questions of her own. This turns out to be more difficult than anticipated because Sana is angry and evasive; Sana’s older daughter seems suspicious of Kausar; and Sana’s husband Hamsa is definitely lying about something. The police, however, seem sure they have their murderer: Sana.

I don’t quite know where to start to say how much I enjoyed this book, which is the first in a new series.  Kausar is a character who really comes to life.  She is a woman of a certain age, a Southeast Asian Muslim immigrant who had an arranged marriage, but who has always met challenges with kindness, empathy, and a shrewd intelligence that allowed her to notice small details that revealed larger truths.  Her race and her age lead people to underestimate her and to make certain assumptions which Kausar uses to her advantage. She’s a warm and empathetic individual, but also with steely resolve to help and protect both her family and her community.  She has a sense of humor as well as humility, but she also has a sense of guilt.  Mired in grief, she now feels that she has let her family down.  She has no idea about the details of Sana’s life or the lives of her granddaughters, and now must try to build more of a relationship with them.  

The book also touches on subjects like gentrification, racism, and generational divides. Kausar and her friends were brought up with certain expectations and views which are not necessarily shared by their children or grandchildren.

The mystery itself is very well constructed.  As Kausar begins to investigate, she discovers some shady financial dealings going on in the neighborhood that may or may not have had a bearing on the murder, not to mention the secrets within her own family.   

I also loved learning more about an unfamiliar culture and place.  Jaladdin writes well, and is able to impart information organically, without lengthy explanations.  In fact, she writes so well that I’m almost tempted to read one of her other books—all of which are romances, which is not my genre.  That says a lot right there!

The Vanishing Type by Ellery Adams

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

When the weather turns cold, my thoughts turn to cozy books.  While Ellery Adams’ Secret, Book, and Scone Society novels are murder mysteries, they’re also about as warm and cozy as they come.  Set in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, the stories revolve around four friends:  Nora, who owns a bookshop; Hester, who is a baker; Estella, the hairdresser; and June, who is a manager at the Miracle Springs Spa.  All these women have suffered tragedy and trials, but they band together to uplift one another and form a chosen family.

In The Vanishing Type, Nora is shocked to find that someone has taken a knife to all the copies of A Scarlet Letter. While it could be a high school student unhappy with having to read Hawthorne, somehow this seems a little more personal—especially since the vandalism targets the name Hester.  Nora keeps this to herself as Hester’s personal life is on the upswing: her longtime beau is ready to pop the question, and Nora and the other Society members are helping him to make the moment perfect.

Then a body turns up, and it appears that a secret from Hester’s past may be about to catch up with her.

The coziness of Adams’ series comes not from the delicious-sounding baked goods, delicious coffees and teas, the love of books—authors and titles are name-dropped regularly—but also from the warmth of the women’s friendship.  I like that all the women have overcome hardships in their lives, so that they face difficult times and situations with courage.  It also makes them empathetic toward others.  Adams does a wonderful job with descriptions.  The food sounds wonderful, but in this book I was enchanted by the descriptions of the artwork in some old novels—I could almost see the book covers.  Actually, I also wanted to read the (non-existent) books.  There is an interesting mix of supporting characters, including some romantic interests for the leading ladies but I also like that Adams doesn’t make every relationship a certainty. 

While this is fifth book in the series, it reads well as a standalone.  If you’re in the market for a comforting, feel-good read with resilient women characters, this would be an excellent choice.

Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Journalist Lila Wilkins’ life is upended when she suddenly loses her job. To make matters worse, her son has been caught joyriding with a couple of friends on the local high school’s football field, leaving damaged bleachers in his wake.  Now not only is Lila unemployed, but she owes a lot of money.  With no other alternative, she applies for a job at the Novel Ideas literary agency, puts her house up for sale, and moves in with her mother—not something she’d planned to do at age 45.

Her job at the agency consists mainly of reading and largely rejecting query letters which come in at an alarming rate.  At least they mostly arrive via email, but then one actually shows up in person.  The man’s clothing is disreputable looking, he has an unpleasant odor, and he’s carrying flowers.  Apparently, he’s something of a regular and possibly homeless; no one pays him any attention except to tell him to leave.

When he turns up dead, no one seems to care except for Lila who can’t help but feel she should have at least taken a look at his query letter. . . which seems to have disappeared.

This is a first in the Novel Ideas series, and it handled being a first in series book very well.  It never really bogged down while introducing the characters and setting.  I liked Lila and some of her cohorts at the agency; I thought her mother, Althea, was a hoot—she does psychic readings and is always warning Lila about potential disasters.  I was less enchanted with her son, Trey, who seemed to feel he could do no wrong; at least by the end he seemed to be growing up a bit.

This was a light, cozy mystery with some literary references and a vaguely North Carolina setting of “Inspiration Valley.” It’s all a bit wish fulfillment, which made perfect sense to me when I realized that “Lucy Arlington” was actually a pseudonym for Ellery Adams (who has other idealized locales in her books) and Sylvia May.  I’m definitely interested in reading more, though I did notice that they wrote only the first three books before handing the series over to Susan Furlong.  I’ll be interested to see if I detect a difference.

The books in the series are:

Buried in a Book

Every Trick in the Book

Books, Cooks, and Crooks

Played by the Book

Off the Books

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

The residents of Coopers Chase, a retirement village in England, are distressed to hear that the owner and developer is planning to expand by taking out a graveyard and former nunnery.  They intend to protest the matter, but when the developer’s top lieutenant is found murdered, the police become involved. Motives abound, but the members of the Thursday Murder Club think they may be able to puzzle out the solution.

That sounds pretty fluffy, right? Jessica Fletcher meets the Golden Girls. In one sense, you would be right, but the depth of characterization and the complex plot lifts this story into a different level.  I prefer my fiction to be character driven and this book has vivid characters aplenty.  There’s Elizabeth, with her rather mysterious past—is she a former secret agent?—and her cool, analytical façade but who loves fiercely; Joyce, who seems the most stereotypical of the group, baking and writing in her diary, but who has sharp insights; Red Ron, a former rabble rouser who is still ready to lead a protest even if he has to do it from his walker; Ibrahim, a retired psychologist who stays awake nights re-reading old case files, remembering the ones he couldn’t save. There are too many other important characters to list here, including the police officers, but each one is memorable and distinctive.

As the story progresses, there are more mysteries to be solved; some are not crimes, per se, but interesting all the same. I will admit that near the end there are some “info dumps” in which the author tells us about things all in one go rather than carefully doling out clues.  As a rule, I dislike this tactic a lot but in this book I didn’t mind. The answers are all tied up in character so that when all is revealed, it makes perfect sense.

I also liked that there’s a certain amount of realism in the book. Some struggle with new technology. Some embrace it. They are aware of their limitations but aren’t defined by them. The relationships between characters are complex and layered.  They are all very much individuals, and mostly people I would like to know. Some of the solutions to the mysteries were emotional for me as well, but to say more would get into spoiler territory.

The stories unfold from the viewpoints of several different characters, which I found a little confusing at first but quickly adjusted as I figured out who was who.  I really like that the author believes in showing rather than telling, and soon these characters felt like old friends.

There are two more books in this series so far, and I am very much looking forward to continuing the journey with characters I have grown to love and care about.

A Book to Kill For by Harper Lin

 

Reviewed by Kristin

Discovering Harper Lin audiobooks on READS has kept me amused while driving to and from work, and she certainly does have a wide variety of series from which to choose. Lin writes mysteries featuring bakeries, cats, cafes, holidays, senior sleuths, southern sleuths, and finally, books. This prolific author either has cloned herself or she just has ideas bubbling out of her head and very quick typing fingers. (This might be a good time to recommend going to www.fantasticfiction.com which does an excellent job of listing authors’ series and non-series books.) For those of you who do prefer a physical book over digital, right on our new shelf is Lin’s latest offering, A Book to Kill For.

Maggie Bell is a fairly stereotypical bookworm who loves working at the Whitfield Bookshop in the small town of Fair Haven, Connecticut. She enjoys her conversations with Mr. Alexander Whitfield, and the chance to read her way through the stock during the quiet hours when very few customers are browsing the stacks. When she finds her boss dead within the first chapter, Maggie’s world is turned upside down.

Mr. Whitfield’s son Joshua arrives in town with great plans for renovating his father’s bookshop into a book café which might actually make a profit. Joshua has much different ideas than his father about the types of books which will draw people into the store. Beach books? Vampires? Popular fiction? Shocked, Maggie just wants to curl into herself and hide among the classic stories. Good looking as Joshua might be, he doesn’t have much interest in reading. Oh, the horror!

The storyline progresses rather predictably, but if cozy mysteries are your cup of tea, then this one will not disappoint. I’m sure that many other townspeople will find themselves bludgeoned, poisoned, or otherwise endangered all for the sake of a plotline in coming titles. As an amateur sleuth with a sleek black cat named Poe by her side, Maggie surely will find the handily dropped clues and save the day.

If you’re interested in Lin’s senior sleuth Barbara Gold, check out her “Granny” series about a former CIA agent who is not slowing down (much) in her retirement, reviewed here.

Tightening the Threads by Lea Wait

Reviewed by Jeanne

When Ted Lawrence announces to his family that not only has he found a niece he didn’t know existed, but that he is going to leave said niece millions of dollars in paintings, the consternation is certainly understandable.  Still, Ted’s death by poisoning the next day takes most of the family by surprise—but not, presumably, the killer.

Naturally, Ted’s children want to pin the murder on the newly discovered relative, but investigator Angie Curtis isn’t going to let that happen.

This is the fifth in the Mainely Needlepoint Series, but could certainly be read as a standalone.  The stories revolve around Angie, a former assistant to a private detective in Arizona.  She’s recently returned to Maine and has been helping her grandmother with her needlepoint business. Gram and a group of needle workers produce embroidered souvenirs as well as doing custom work and restoration.  However, more and more the business which served as a “hook” to lure readers recedes in the background in favor of a focus on characters and the community. This is only a problem if someone were looking for craft pointers—in which case, I’d recommend non-fiction books on the topic.  Much of my enjoyment comes from the characters anyway, and I’d prefer to spend time with them. Wait does continue her tradition of beginning each chapter with a quotation about needlework, often text from a vintage sampler with a bit of information on its maker.  I skipped these in the early books, but now I read them all even if they don’t illuminate the mystery at hand. They seem reflect the mood of the books, which seem more aware than most cozies that life does change, sometimes for good and sometimes for ill, but there is continuity. Life goes on.

At the center is Angie, an independent young woman who never knew who her father was, and whose mother went missing when she was still a child.  She was reared and loved by her grandmother who gave her stability, but there’s still a bit of a void in her life. The circumstances of her life may have shaped her, but they don’t define her.  In addition, Wait has built up a believable roster of characters and makes good use of them, ensuring that when a character appears that character actually serves a function.   I also enjoy Wait’s plotting; while there are often two or more mysteries in a book, they may or may not be connected. This certainly upends some readers’ expectations and makes solutions more of a challenge.  The Maine setting is vividly described, giving readers a strong sense of place.

Solid story, solid characters, solid series.  This is one of my “old reliables,” a series I can count on to hold my attention and to entertain me. When reading this series, I have actually been known to walk an extra couple of thousand steps on the treadmill to read “just one more chapter.” THAT is high praise indeed.

Death of a Toy Soldier by Barbara Early

Reviewed by Jeanne

When a man shows up with a box of old toys, Liz McCall isn’t surprised.  Toy appraisals are a staple at Well Played, the family’s toy and game shop.  That her father isn’t around to do the appraisals isn’t a cause for surprise either, but may be a cause for concern.  Her pun-loving dad is allegedly retired from the East Aurora, NY police department, but he’s prone to slipping out and making the occasional citizen’s arrest—a habit which does not endear him to the new chief of police.  Things get even stickier a few days later when the potential customer turns up dead in the shop, his toys are missing, and her dad is claiming amnesia.

Liz doesn’t have to be a cop’s daughter to know that looks very, very suspicious.

Death of a Toy Soldier begins the Vintage Toyshop Mystery series, and it acquits itself well for a first in series.  Often such books spend many pages doing the set-up (acquainting readers with the various characters, locales, business, and so forth) which can bog down the story, but this one keeps the narrative moving along.  There’s a nice assortment of characters and character quirks, the seemingly requisite two potential beaus for the leading lady, and the “gimmick”—in this case, antique toys.  

While this was a good, solid book to spend time reading during lunch, I confess I felt a bit let down.  I had read and enjoyed the author’s earlier Bridal Bouquet Mystery series (written under the name Beverly Allen), so my expectations were perhaps higher than they should have been.  With the first series, part of the delight was learning the language of flowers along with the mystery. In the new series, toys were name-dropped (Risk, Clue, etc.) but I didn’t really learn much about them.  The only memorable toy comment was one about the history of monopoly, but not too much information was given. This is no doubt a plus for some readers who don’t care for extraneous information but it’s something I actively enjoy and rather expected, much the same way that readers expect recipes or cooking tips when reading a cooking mystery. 

And yes, there is a cat.  His name is Othello (presumably for the game and not the general) and he is a charmer.

The mystery itself was competently done and clues were fairly delivered.  The characters have potential, though Dad tends to steal the show.  I’m hoping the next book will explore the personalities a bit more and that toy information and history will be worked into the narrative. Based on her previous books, I think she will deliver.