Petty Treason (2004) Madeleine E. Robins Sarah Tolerance is a fallen woman. Although she lives with her aunt (another Fallen) in her brothel, she has not chosen to become a prostitute, but as society will not forgive her, so she has chosen an unconventional life as an Agent of Inquiry. She does well enough for […]
4:50 from Paddington (1957) Agatha Christie Mrs. Elspeth McGillicuddy is taking the train from London to visit her friend Miss Marple, when she looks into the windows of a passing train and sees a woman being throttled–she alerts the conductor, the station master, and the local police, but–strangely–no body is discovered. Her curiosity piqued, Miss […]
Search the Dark (1999) Charles Todd This is the third Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery. A man goes made on a train, believe he’s seen his wife and children, who were killed when their house collapsed and burned during the war. When a woman’s body appears–badly beaten and disfigured–suspicion falls upon the man. But no one […]
Discount Armageddon: An InCryptid Novel (2012) Seanan McGuire Verity Price is a cryptozoologist. And dancer. And member of a renegade family that supports the rights of cryptids to live as long as they don’t kill humans. Cryptids? They’re the monsters that go bump in the night. The creatures of myth and folklore. There is so […]
A Murder Is Announced (1950) Agatha Christie Next up on my Miss Marple reading binge was A Murder is Announced. The residents of Chipping Cleghorn are startled when their weekly paper has a strange personal announcement: ‘A murder is announced and will take place on Friday October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6:30 p.m.’ And […]
An Unmarked Grave (2012) Charles Todd The fourth Bess Crawford mystery finds the Spanish Influenza doing more damage to the soldiers fighting–and the civilians at home–than the Great War itself was doing. I’ve been morbidly fascinated by this flu since I learned about it. It was truly a horrible disease, killing the young and healthy […]
The Thirteen Problems (1928, 1929, 1930, 1933) Agatha Christie (Also published as The Tuesday Club Murders) I read several stories in this collection, but not all, so I don’t think I’d previously read this collection as is. After dinner seems a good time to sit around and discuss crime, and see how clever everyone is, […]
The Moving Finger (1943) Agatha Christie Jerry Burton and his sister Joanna have rented a house in Lymstock, on doctor’s orders, in the hopes that time in the country will make Jerry’s recover from his serious injury easier. Sadly, the quite stay in the country is spoiled by a series of poison pen letters sent […]
The Body in the Library (1942) Agatha Christie Colonel and Mrs. Bantry are quite shocked to discover a body in their library–a very young blonde body. The Colonel calls the police, but Mrs. Bantry knows better, and calls Miss Marple. Again, like Murder at the Vicarage, I noticed that much of the story seemed timeless. […]
The Murder at the Vicarage (1930) Agatha Christie It’s been years since I’ve read an Agatha Christie, but she’s always been on of my favorites, and so I decided it was the perfect thing to read while I’m sick and feeling somewhat miserable. This is the first Miss Marple mystery, and is told from the […]
Wings of Fire (1998) Charles Todd The second Ian Rutledge mystery finds Rutledge sent to Cornwall, to look into the deaths of a prominent family: a double suicide and a fall. Adding to the confusion, one of the suicides turned out to be a famous poet, O.A. Manning, whose poems of love and war and […]
A Bitter Truth (2011) Charles Todd In the third Bess Crawford mystery, Bess has returned home for Christmas leave, but before she makes it to her parent’s home, she discovers a young woman huddled in her doorway. Taking pity on her, she ends up returning home with the woman, to make sure she is safe. […]
A Test of Wills (1996) Charles Todd This was a re-read. After reading and thoroughly enjoying the Bess Crawford mystery, I remembered I had several books in Charles Todd’s Ian Rutledge series, and decided to reread them. Inspector Rutledge of Scotland Yard served in the Great War, and he’s suffering shell shock from his experiences […]
Home Improvement: Undead Edition (2011) Charlaine Harris, Toni L. P. Kelner As with most anthologies, there are stories here I really liked, and some that I found to be just okay. What was unusual was that there were some stories that I actually strongly disliked. “Gray” by Patricia Briggs isn’t a Mercy Thompson story, but […]
An Impartial Witness (2010) Charles Todd Bess Crawford is escorting wounded soldiers back to London, including a pilot who was badly burned, and whose thoughts of his wife seem to be what is pulling him through the horror of his injuries. Bess sees the wife, making a tearful plea to a soldier, but before Bess […]
Ice Blue (2011) Emma Jameson Anthony Hetheridge, ninth Baron of Wellegrave, Chief Superintendent of Scotland Yard is turning sixty. He’s not sure what this means for him, but he’s pretty sure it means he’s in decline. Detective Sergeant Kate Wakefield enjoys working for Scotland Yard, but is somewhat distracted by her home life–a boyfriend who […]
Any Taint of Vice (2012) Dana Stabenow A Kate Shugak short story for 99¢? Yes please! Kate receives a call to come to Anchorage and find a general’s son and destroy the incriminating pictures. And not in the order. It’s a nice short story, and shows a peek at how Kate keeps Mutt in kibble. […]
A Duty to the Dead (2009) Charles Todd Bess Crawford is serving as a nurse in the Great War. The hospital ship on which she was serving was sunk, and although she survives, a badly broken arm sends her back to London to recuperate. A promise made to a soldier who died from his wounds […]
The Custom of the Army (2012) Diana Gabaldon This is a Lord John novella. During an electric eel party, Lord John ends up in a duel (he’s not entirely sure how). When he opponent dies, Lord John is sent by his commander (also his brother) to Canada, where his presence is requested as a character […]
Lord John and the Hand of Devils (2007) Diana Gabaldon This is a collection of three Lord John novellas: “Lord John and the Hellfire Club,” “Lord John and the Succubus,” and “Lord John and the Haunted Soldier.” The first two stories follow in time after the novel, Lord John and the Private Matter. The third […]
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (2007) Diana Gabaldon I am really enjoying this series, and REALLY like Lord John. Lord John’s mother is getting remarried. Hal and John choose to meet with General Sir George Stanley, so Hal can make sure he’ll be acceptable for their mother, at which time they also […]
And Only to Deceive (2005) Tasha Alexander I read And Only to Deceive back in 2007 and found it a disappointment–I wanted a straight up mystery, but instead god a romance with elements of mystery. So how did I feel upon a re-read? I still very much liked the arc of Lady Emily discovering who […]
Lord John and the Private Matter (2003) Diana Gabaldon I read a Lord John short story by Diana Gabaldon in the anthology Down These Strange Streets, and if you know anything about my reading preference, you should be impressed when I tell you it was a zombie story, and I still wanted to search out […]
Garrett Investigates (2012) Elizabeth Bear Five short Abby Irene short stories, covering most of her career, from 1897 to 1941. The first story, “The Tricks of London” has her investigating the return of Spring-Heeled Jack. Although the story set from the point-of-view of the Detective Sergeant Sean Cuan, we get to see Abby Irene early […]
Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron (2012) edited by Jonathan Strahan This is a lovely YA anthology, with some amazing stories by some of my favorite authors. I didn’t love all the stories, but none of them were bad. The theme is young witches coming of age, but the stories are far greater than […]
Between the Dark and the Daylight: And 27 More of the Best Crime and Mystery Stories of the Year (2009) edited by Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg I generally love mystery anthologies, but I had a hard time with this one. First and foremost, the collection is full of unreliable narrators. I have absolutely […]
Have Stakes Will Travel (2012) Faith Hunter This is a collection of four Jane Yellowrock stories, ranging from the time when Jane and Beast ran wild to the time past the end of the last book. “We Sa and the Lumber King” is set during the time when Beast was in control, probably the late […]
Crimes by Moonlight (2010) edited by Charlaine Harris stories by Charlaine Harris, Carolyn Hart I started this anthology more than a year ago, got bored with it and put it down, then finally decided I was just going to FINISH it. Needless to say, my memories of the stories at the start is rather faint. […]
An Apple for the Creature (2012) edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner; stories by Jonathan Maberry, Donald Harstad, Marjorie M. Liu, Rhys Bowen, Amber Benson, Mike Carey, Faith Hunter, Ilona Andrews, Steve Hockensmith, Nancy Holder First, I hate this title. It grates on my nerves like nails down a chalkboard. Luckily, the […]
Down These Strange Streets (2011) edited by Gardner Dozois and George R. R. Martin If you look at the list of authors above, you’ll immediately see why I read this series. There are some of my favorite authors here–many of whom write short stories I tend to love. And surprisingly, I loved most of these […]
Vulture Peak (2012) John Burdett Sonchai is in over his head now. Colonel Vikorn has decided (was ordered?) to run for governor of Bangkok. Because General Zinna controls the local trade in body parts, Vikorn has decided that wiping out selling of illegal body parts is the way to make his name and propel himself […]
Ashes of Honor (2012) Seanan McGuire Toby has, in theory, been putting her life back in order. But mostly she is still grieving the loss of her lover and her daughter. When she is asked to find a lost Changeling child–a child who has powers that may well turn out to be a threat to […]
A Fatal Waltz (2008) Tasha Alexander Lady Emily’s marriage to Colin Hargreaves was put off when Lord Fortescue arranged to have Hargreaves sent overseas on a mission. Fortescue opposes Emily’s marriage to Colin and will do everything possible to end their engagement. Thus it is with some surprise that Lady Emily finds herself invited to […]
A Poisoned Season (2007) Tasha Alexander I read the first book in this series several years ago, and was singularly unimpressed. Not the the writing or the characters, but because it was (like this book) subtitled: A Novel of Suspense. I still disagree with that subtitle, but after enough time had passed, I decided to […]
Hex Appeal (2012) edited by P.N. Elrod; Stories by P.N. Elrod, Carrie Vaughn, Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Simon R Green, Rachel Caine (and others) As I was expecting, this collection was a mixed bag. Luckily, the good stories were very good, and worth the price of the anthology. I bought the anthology first and foremost […]
Bullets and Fire (2009) Joe R. Lansdale I swear I’ve read a story almost exactly like this before. Details I didn’t know, but I knew precisely where it was going. But part of the following quote was familiar: Dad told me once, that if people don’t care about where they live, the way they act, […]
Kitty Steals the Show (2012) Carrie Vaughn Kitty has come a long way from when she was first attacked. She’s now alpha of her own pack, and a public face for werewolves in the US, both because of her radio show, and her (involuntary) pubic outing as a were. That status has led to her […]
Gunmetal Magic (2012) Ilona Andrews This book is set in Kate’s world, and Kate (of course) make appearances, but this is the story of Andrea and Raphael. Andrea has been outed as a shapeshifter and forced out the Order, which has been her entire life. As a shapeshifter she is required by Pack Laws to […]
Beastly Things (2012) Donna Leon I love this series. I love spending time in Venice with Commissario Brunetti and has family, I love all the characters he deals with, and I love the complexity of his family and co-workers. It’s funny, but for the most part, the mysteries take a back seat to everything else […]
Akitada and the Way of Justice (2011) I. J. Parker This is a collection of eleven short stories featuring the 11th century Japanese “detective” (there wasn’t such a term at the time) Akitada, over the span of his career, from the first mystery he was involved in to one towards the end of his career. […]
Drawing Conclusions (2010) Donna Leon I love Donna Leon’s Commissario Brunetti series. Brunetti is a mostly honest police detective who works in a mostly dishonest and entirely complex system. He is also in love with his wife and has two decent kids, and has co-workers who respect him. Of course, everything isn’t perfect. His boss […]
A Fountain Filled with Blood (2003) Julia Spencer-Fleming I don’t know what it was, but this story annoyed the living crap out of me. Not bad enough that I didn’t finish it, but I can’t say I read for detail, and probably glossed over whole pages for the second half of the book. Clare is […]
About Face (2009) Donna Leon I checked my shelves and noticed I didn’t have About Face. The reason I didn’t see it is because I’d gotten it on clearance in hardback. So, it’s just as well I now have it in paperback. And of course, once I started reading, I had to finish re-reading it. […]
Rashomon Gate (2002) I.J. Parker Akitada, is an official in the Ministry of Justice, who is bored with his job. But he has to support his mother and two younger sisters, so he does his best. His mother wants him to make a good marriage so he’ll move ahead in the world, but Akitada likes […]
The Age of Doubt (2008/2012) Andrea Camilleri I think one of the things I like about this series is that Andrea Camilleri hasn’t felt the need to rehabilitate Montalbano–he’s still a bastard, and still talks without thinking, but he’s also still good at his job, despite the fact he has to be close to retirement […]
Though Not Dead (2011) Dana Stabenow This book takes place immediately after A Night Too Dark. “Old Sam” Dementieff has died, and he made Kate his executor and heir. Just as she is starting to settle his estate, Jim–who she has been leaning on a bit to get her through this–is called home with the […]
Kate Shugak Short Stories Dana Stabenow There are four short Kate Shugak stories originally published in different anthologies, but available for $0.99 from Amazon. Well worth reading, and it’s always good to support authors you enjoy. Conspiracy (2011) A brief history of the Grosdider brothers and how Something Was Done about them. Nooses Give (2011) […]
Basilisk (2011) Rob Thurman I know it’s strange for me, but I’ve had Basilisk sitting around unread since last August. Strange, because I love Rob Thurman’s writing, and have loved every book of her’s I’ve read. But as much as I enjoyed Chimera, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about a sequel, […]
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery (2011) Maryrose Wood and Jon Klassen Miss Penelope Lumley continues to be the governess of Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia Incorrigible, the three children raised by wolves and adopted by Lord Ashton. Penelope (or Lumawoo as the children call her), continues to be both protector and educator […]
When Maidens Mourn (2012) C.S. Harris I’ve been pretty forthright about how rarely I buy hardback books. But C.S. Harris is on the extremely short list of authors I’ll buy and read in hardback. So why, you may ask, if his book came out over a month ago–and I’ve had it in my hands for […]