Bro Code

Looking back at the first mystery in this series, The Baker Street Letters, its hard to believe that I read it in 2009. THat being said, at the time I found it a disappointment. again I went in assuming things, my Achilles heel if I ever had one. The premise was that Reggie and Nigel Heath share law offices at 221B Baker Street, the former address of the world's most famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. Reggie is the dependable hardworking lawyer (barrister in Brit talk) while Nigel is the...how to put it delicately? Better not even try, lets stick with less than reliable barrister. His job consists of answering the letters that still arrive for Sherlock Holmes, a requirement in their lease of the building. I was expecting a good old fashioned British cozy, and what I got was more of a shoot 'em up thriller/Western mostly set in L.A. and rather depressing at points. I was reluctant to dip my toe in again, however I'm glad I did because I finally got what I was looking for the first time around.

This story had all the hallmarks of a good mystery, false identities, red herrings, car chases, gun fights, crazy people, and of course Sherlock Holmes. The descendants of Professor Moriarty show up (who knew the crazy old guy procreated)? It was fast paced, funny and there was even a particularly good scene where our damsel in distress Laura dangles from Tower Bridge, sweet huh? The characters, which were the one saving grace in the first installment come back strong, even though it is painfully obvious this book is written by a man at some points. In Robertson's defense he does try very hard to make his character seem very sensitive, even if it doesn't always work or make sense. This was my gym book for the past two weeks and I have to say it kept me on the elliptical which not many a tale can, bravo Mr. Holmes.

Blew Moon

My other copy room bookshelf find this one didn't rank quite as high as Pearl Cove did, however it wasn't too bad. I confess that the beginning pulled me in, then my interest tapered off as the book went on. Thea the heroine is seduced into running off with a fortune hunter, who then rapes her in order to ensure that she has to marry him. When her brother shows up to defend her honor and take her home, they duel and both are killed. Ten years later Thea is notorious, a wealthy woman who lives on her own. Her reputation has sullied any chance of marriage and forced her younger half sister to marry a gambler and lout (great word isn't it? I like lout). 

Enter Patrick Blackburn an American planter from Natchez, Mississippi (a less sexier hometown I've never heard of, it ain't exactly Tara) recently arrived and visiting his mother who left his father alone in America to return to her beloved London. Remind anyone of Legends of the Fall? Me! His mother is being blackmailed about a youthful indiscretion and when he goes to deal with the situation who does he run into but Thea, literally, who is also being blackmailed by her loser brother-in-law to cover his gambling debts. She runs off into the night after hitting him. By a strange coincidence someone else has it in for bad bro and knocks Patrick out and slits bro's throat. A fine pickle everyone finds themselves in, and so the story goes.

The concept is good and the story held my attention for the most part, however the character development fell off in places especially in terms of secondary characters. Often people would pop in and out with no apparent purpose and often characters would suddenly have a huge scene or play a big role in the plot but you weren't really sure why or where the hell they came from. In my opinion this hurt the story, I like to know all the gritty details, or at least feel like I know exactly where I am and what everyone is about. In this case it felt incomplete. Good general plot, but it could have been better if the characters were better.

Going Rogue

I come from Rhode Island, somebody had to. Okay I blatantly stole that from Bill Bryson in The Lost Continent, however it is, in a way, true. I have been asked more times than I care to admit if Rhode Island is the long island off New York. Seriously. If you ever needed a scathing indictment of the American education system, there it is. People don't even know that where I come from is a state most of the time, so when I see a book someone has actually written about it I have to read it.

Now I must confess that I have read other books either totally or partially set in Rhode Island that frankly are not written by anyone with a true knowledge of the place. They might have read about it or be cross referencing from other stories, but its clear they don't know the nature of the beast. Bruce DeSilva, a former writer for the Providence Journal (known by locals as the ProJo) is very familiar with the best. 

Rogue Island is a noir with a down on his luck journalist Liam Mulligan, at its center. He knows every street in the city  of Providence, and almost every person on it. He comes from Rhode Island and isn't afraid to let his freak flag fly. Investigating an ugly and dirty series of arsons in his home neighborhood of Mount Hope the story is full of wonderfully gritty realism. The framework of a traditional noir is there, the plot and the dialogue, however its crossed with a more modern streetwise flavor reminiscent of Scorsese or Tarentino. Every review I have read of this book is a hit. Fans of the genre will love it regardless of its setting, and those who live in the setting will love it even more. Its a slightly warped love letter, but then again all the best love stories are.

Gypsies, Tramps, and Theives

God bless whoever the first woman was that decided they could take something as inherantly unsexy as a gypsy (or their PC name Romany) and make it into something we pant over. THe dark hair, the broodying eyes, the definace, their rebel without a cause. They sleep out under the stars and can wear fringe and still be masculine! Hot damn. I'm pretty sure the same woman did the PR for pirates, which are pretty disgusting if you really think about it, and made it into Captain Jack Sparrow AKA Johnny Depp.

Mine Till Midnight is the first of the 2 Hathaway sister stories involving gypsies. The second Seduce Me At Sunrise I had already read, however this one was unavailable at the time and I saw it while wandering by the paperbacks. I also gave you the peep show, the cover and the insert page. Enjoy the gypsy goodness. Cam Rohan, the gypsy in question has gone civilized which makes him an outcast to his people. He tries to act the tough guy, but he's really a big softie. The only remote gypsy like personality trait he retains is the rape and pillage tendency, again not normally sexy but it works.

As always the Hathaways provide some good entertainment, and this one is especially interesting because they throw it down old style. It gives you the dirty details of the real dark days when Leo was falling down drunk and Win was half dead in the falling down bee-infested estate. The other three books are all set a few years later so it gives you a different perspective.

In terms of the romance its a little fast paced and ridiculous. If anything it seems like a much more modern anti-courtship, where Bea Hathaway gets tired of cleaning up other peoples messes and relieves her stress with dirty gypsy sex, lots of dirty gypsy sex. Not that I'm complaining, in fact its quite enjoyable. The romance itself falls to a distant second, as usual  the family drama but that is part of this series' charm. Overall a vast improvement over Love In The Afternoon with a better story and much more enjoyable character interactions.

The City That Care Forgot

I've never been to New Orleans, but then again I feel like its one of those places that you know even if you've never boon there. I've seen Easy Rider and tripped out in St. Louis cemetery No. 1, Interview with the Vampire and seen how the wealthy nocturnal citizens live. Penelope Williamson's Mortal Sins and Wages of Sin give a gritty and damp trip down every street and alley. C.S. Graham's Tobie Guiness and her weird remote viewing talents live in a shotgun in the Irish Cannel. I rode a Streetcar Named Desire with Stella, and Stanley, and Blanche. Then there was Christopher Rice's debut novel, A Density of Souls that was an eerie foreshadowing of the apocalyptic times to come in the wake of Katrina and Rita. That, we've all seen and even five years later the evidence lingers. 

That being said I have never been a huge Anne Rice fan. I saw the movie of Interview with the Vampire before I read the book and I liked it, the book I thought was really slow. I got maybe five chapters in the The Vampire Lestat (I remember siting in a HoneyDew Donuts near the URI campus reading it and eating a maple donut, weird don't ask me why the vivid memory) and got bored with it, I thought the rock star thing was just silly. I also tried to work my way through her new books (well not so new now) about Christ the Lord and frankly they still weren't good enough to hold my attention. Having read all about The Witching Hour, the first hefty tome in the Mayfair Witches saga I may give it a whirl, though every literary review warns against it. Nine hundred plus pages is a big commitment.

As for the travel guide itself, meh. She has to spend so much time explaining the geography that her actual descriptions of the locations fall short. Other than that some slight organizational make it difficult to navigate. Now I have gone this distance on sightseeing many times, my friend Alyssa is still bitter about me dragging her to the In Cold Blood house, however Joy Dickinson goes beyond stalker and I actually felt a little guilty at times reading about the author's "investigations" into the true Anne Rice stories of the city. Maybe I'm a creepy stalker to, just for reading it, whatever, if I go to the Big Easy, believe me it'll be for the beignets at Cafe du Monde.  

Pearls of Wisdom

So working in a new school you need to find your way around. Granted there are only a few really necessary things you need to locate : a working toilet, a refrigerator, a microwave, the supply closet, and the copy machine. While scoping out the copy machine I scanned the inevitable collection of crap that tends to accumulate over the years in such a communal space. Scrap paper, really old magazines, catalogues for those terrible at home parties (Tastefully Simple, Pampered Chef, etc.), angry notices about how to change the toner, and a bookshelf. Such bookshelves are a treasure, because they are the home of the lost book. Some are discards from the school library that have been salvaged, some are donated, others simply are picked up from the hallway floor and make a home their. I love these kinds of bookshelves, and it is where I found Pearl Cove.

I had read one other Elizabeth Lowell novel, or rather closer to a novella called Outlaw. Not being much for cowboys I wasn't blown away by it, and found the repressed sexuality as a result of date rape a little heavy, incongruously heavy for the subject matter. I must confess however that I really like Pearl Cove. First aside from either the romance story between Hannah and Archer or the mystery of who murdered Len, Hannah's husband and Archer's half-brother or the thriller-style race to find the missing Black Trinity necklace...I just found it an interesting book to read in terms of back story.  

Romances are notorious for being cookie cutter, falling into neat categories; Regency, Western, Paranormal, Medieval... the list goes on and on. Trends come in and out of fashion, however when you're writing something as mundane as boy-meets-girl and they have sex and fall in love, what sets it apart are the details. I'm never one to put a book down because of historical or factual inaccuracies (regardless of how much they irritate me) however it definitely colors my opinion of the work as a whole. Going in I knew nothing about pearl farming or the pearl trade and I have to say I was very impressed with the amount of research that Elizabeth Lowell must have done, because it was so real and so exact that it almost eclipsed the other elements of the story. Bottom line, it was fascinating to read, because she got the details right, or at least damn close. 

Having not read the other Donovan family stories I can't say how Pearl Cove compares, however it seems like a solid set of ideas for a series, even if the Donovans aren't quite as cool as Jo Beverly's Mallorens. There is a certain spy school, trained assassin element that at time is a little far fetched but Lowell doesn't overplay that hand too much. The romance runs hot an cold, but it is eventually satisfying and there is a rough-and-tumble, thunder down under appeal to the sex. The line "if you want sex or protection press six" is also a real winner in my estimation. In the end Pearl Cove is a sailboat book, its not about the destination, its about the journey to get there. The way the story develops along the way is this books greatest strength, and character development, while slow is eventually pretty solid. I'm tempted to have another go at Elizabeth Lowell, I'll have to do some more shopping in the copy room.

Every Time A Bell Rings....

It cannot be understated, Mary Balogh must be doing some serious thinking about the dichotomy of good and evil, because the angel-devil obsession in this novel is enough to send you over to the dark side. I have to admit, it has not been a good year for me and romances so far, and this was nothing different. Though a look at other reviews seems to show I am not alone. Cassandra, our heroine, is a widow who barely survived an abusive marriage and was accused of her husband's murder and cut off without a penny by his heir. She and her rag tag group of followers (companions, maids, illegitimate children, one eyed dogs, clowns... no wait were there actual clowns?) are on the verge of being out on the street. So she remakes her old dress, Scarlett O'Hara style (minus the drapes) and goes off to find herself a rich protector.

Stephen, an earl and the title angel (who by the by is way less cool than Clarence in It's A Wonderful Life) is blonde and wealthy. He stumbles over Cassandra (literally) and get pulled into her web of lust and deceit. However he regains his conscience after a bout of very lackluster sex (I think they enjoyed it, I'm only speaking for myself, I found it very lackluster) and sets about saving her and making an honest woman out of this soiled dove.

There were really no redeeming qualities to this book. Every word that came out of their mouths sounded like a public service announcement, protesting for equal rights and challenging sin. The Regency detail was non-existent, in fact much of the story was historically off base, some of it by decades. The character's were frustrating and had few endearing qualities and the central mystery, of who killed Cassandra's husband... well to be honest I don't think anyone, even those involved gave a shit. I'm not one for saying books are worthless, but for Seducing an Angel, I'll make an exception. If Stephen had been the angel assigned to George Bailey, I guarantee he would have jumped.

The High Life

So this was a slip up, this poor book was read sometime back in late January and I happened to notice when I was scanning my book list that it had never been posted. Sometimes I add several books to the list at once, which is easy if I have them in front of me. However all too often I've already returned them to the library and have to rely on my memory, never a good idea. My mother will routinely ask me to bring her something from another room and en route I forget and walk right past it. Oh yeah, its that bad.

If you have read the poem The Highwayman, you should be all set, in fact you can probably skip the book altogether. It tells the story of the daughter of the doomed couple from Noyes poem, who makes the mistake of trying to rob the runaway son of a nobleman. He helps her recover from the injuries that he gives her and they reach a sort of weird camaraderie, partially over the fate of a deserter who stumbles upon them in search of shelter. In the end they of course turn vigilante and steal from his greedy father in a Robin Hood-esque ending. God triumphs and we can all sleep the restful sleep usually reserved for the just and Errol Flynn. 

I was expecting a little more shoot 'em up action, and while there is some of the traditional highwayman action this is not an adventure story. It gets very wordy and overly descriptive time and time again until you want to scream, "He's already built the fire, we get it!" or "Yes its very significant that she let's Will wear her dead father's clothes!" but somehow you still really don't care. Also a good portion of the story is given over to the retelling of the poem, which if you are familiar with it is a waste of a good seventy pages or so. In case you hadn't picked up on it, while I felt bad for not writing this one up, it really was rather forgettable.

Only The Shadow Knows

C.S. Harris and I go way back, not literally, because she is fabulous and glamourous and has lived the life I would have were I smarter, wealthier, and better looking...but nonetheless I have been a long time fan as I discussed in my post on The Babylonian Codex her join venture with her husband Steve Harris. For some strange reason however, Where Shadows Dance, the sixth book in her Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series has been nigh on impossible to track down. The publisher, a subdvision of Penguin books is one of the chains that is withholding shipments to Boarders and despite the past popularity of the books, in fall of 2009 when What Remains of Heaven came out there were dozens of pre-release holds on several libraries copies, not a single library pre-ordered the new installment this time. It was weird, I'm not sure what happened. I will say that the release schedule, formerly a consistent fall release was screwed up this time, delayed until spring perhaps because of her C.S. Graham series release which was the end of November. People get used to a certain schedule, and if it changes sometimes they loose interest. That being said, I broke down and ordered the book from Amazon (at $13.17 it was only priced like a dollar fifty higher than the trade paperback of What Remains of Heaven).

I, like many readers, have been eagerly anticipating the reveal of the Sebastian-Hero conflict started in Where Serpents Sleep. Sebastian, everyones favorite soldier/viscount/ tough detective and Hero, the confirmed old maid daughter of his enemy Lord Jarvis decided a roll in the hay was a good idea when faced with death back in book four, resulting in the inconvenient pregnancy in book five and now the saga continues. As the series has gone on Sebastian's story has come more to the forefront, both in terms f his love life and his mysterious parentage. It went from perhaps 25% of the plot in What Angels Fear, the first mystery to morel like 75% not six books later. The question of whether or not this hurts the mystery plot is up for debate. Does it make for a better more satisfying story? Without a doubt, but there are some who beleive that a true mystery is just that. Lucky for you and C.S. Harris I'm not one of them. 

In terms of mystery I'm pleased to say that this was much better than What Remains of Heaven, which had all the makings of a good mystery featuring a fresh corpse found side by side in an ancient crypt with a long-ago murder victim... there was espionage, a secret baby, spousal abuse, Benjamin Franklin's son (random I know), but in the end it just fizzled out and died. Where Shadows Dance was a meatier, better plotted mystery, much more reminiscent of the shockingly gory and weird stuff that was thrown at us in the good old Sebastian St. Cyr stories. He faces the challenge of how does one investigate a murder that no ones knows has been committed. His surgeon friend Paul Gibson discovers this when examining the corpse which he has paid to have stolen from a city graveyard.

Now trying to put the murder victim back together again like a gory Humpty Dumpty provides an element of slapstick, I guarantee a mildly disgusted belly laugh at the very least. If anything Hero's presence at Sebastian's side lends itself to telling of the story, mainly because you never know what side she's really on. If this were the 1950's Katherine Hephburn would play her in the film version, a la Adam's Rib. They make a good team and I'm sure St. Cyr junior when it arrives will add a little something as well. 

I will say that the body count does get a little high towards the end, a bit Tarentino and unbelievable. I don't think its necessary to kill off every other suspect just to show your audience who the real killer is... but artist's choice. The mystery is still good, if there are a few unbelievable points or very loose ends Harris' storytelling is so good that you really don't mind. She lets you escape to the Regency period more fully than any other writer or the period I know, and that alone makes her books magical and a real treat.

Disappearing Dimples

Flavia has competition for my favorite historical cozy. A new books shelf cruising find I enjoyed this one far more than I expected at first. It looked cute, but in reality it was well written, an unusual glance at the time period and setting, full of realistic and authentic characters, and a book about teachers that warmed the cockles of my spinster school marm heart. And you thought I never had anything nice to say about anything, didn't you?

Set in rural Georgia on the home front in 1942 it is definitely historical fiction and a mystery, and the mystery, set in war time has an element of the spy story in it. To term it Southern gothic may be a stretch, however there is a Ma and Pa Kettle aspect to the dialect and characters that sets it apart. Charlie, the heroine is a school teacher, and not exactly the detective. Miss Dimple the true spinster school marm and beloved first grade teacher goes missing right before Thanksgiving, so in-between making Pilgrim hats and bidding soldiers farewell the school staff have to figure out where she went. 

THe story is interesting because even though Charlie is the main character it jumps around a lot, changing perspective often. In a way Charlie doesn't solve the mystery, its a group effort. Like everything else the town folk all chip in to help save the day. Its very sweet, almost threatening to get saccharin sweet at times, but if you've ever lived in a small town its very true to life. These people really do exist. Interwoven are lots of details regarding the hardships of life, from rationing to sending off beloved soldiers. Charlie faces a conflict between wanting to stay loyal to her GI beau and falling for her best friend's flame. Te love story stays light and helps to relieve some of the tension. Miss Dimple herself shines as the beacon of reason and practicality, in fact her scenes are some of the funniest. I was surprised to see that many reviewers sort of slammed this one (then again they like a lot of books I loathe) most seemed to think that the author pigeon-holed herself, writing a book that appealed to only a very specific audience. I can't really say, I've never read a mystery set in that time and place before. I though it was fresh and very cute. It made me show my dimples.

License to Gild

You knew it had to happen eventually, I broke down and read a nonfiction book. Seriously, I do read nonfiction, however not always for pleasure and often I jump around and only read the parts I'm interested in. For example I read bits of The Origins of the Franco-American Colony in Woonsocket, RI which I picked up the same day as Gilded, it was very good and interesting... that is the parts I read. I skimmed a lot and read about a third of the book in detail. The question is, does that count? In my eyes not really, which is why it doesn't go on the list or get featured on the Headcase Bookcase. That and I find many nonfiction books are so narrow in their focus that they lack general appeal. That being said I don't think Gilded is one of those nonfiction books.

I'm a native Rhode Islander, I grew up surrounded by the legends of Newport and have read countless books concerning the seaside playground of the Victorian rich and famous. When I took a class in college on the history of Rhode Island, our professor actually skipped over Newport and the Gilded Age because she knew we had already been there and done that. That being said, I think that Deborah Davis' book is a well-rounded, smartly structured, all access guide. She looks at all aspects of the so-called Gilded Age, from the initial construction of the seaside "cottages" to the question of street development, to pre-Gilded Age Newport, and finally beyond the Vanderbuilts and the Rockafellers to the servants and townspeople. 

I haven't read her other books, but I enjoyed Gilded enough to want to check them out. I think she takes a more lighthearted approach to nonfiction writing, and her brief chapters make it a nice book to dip in and out of. I confess I read it sporadically over several weeks. Also I don't think anyone can disagree that the story about the old society matron who declined a copy of Davis' book on the Black and White Ball on the grounds that Truman Capote "was a nasty, little homosexual" is equal parts shocking and hilarious.

No Symbol, Just Lost

I have always had very mixed feelings about Dan Brown's books. I was a sophomore in high school when The Da Vinci Code became a sensation, however I resited reading it for a long time. I'm not always the first to jump on the bandwagon with popular books, and usually come in after the fact. When I read The Da Vinci Code I honestly didn't see what the big deal was. I was a Catholic school girl, and I had heard a lot of the conspiracy theory before. It was a thriller, pure and simple, okay but nothing special. Eventually I got around to reading Angels and Demons, out of order I know. In this case I hated it, I thought it was so extreme and farfetched that I barely got through it. People have told me that I would have liked it better if I read it before The DaVinci Code, not so sure about that.

When the long awaited (six years long awaited) third Robert Langdon novel came out in Spetember of 2009 I intented to get around to reading it once the rush died down, that way I would have no problem getting my hands on a copy (my library alone has six copies sitting on the shelf now). I honestly forgot all about reading it, to be honest it wasn't high on my list, until Kerrie the Reading teacher at work asked me if I had read it. After the conversation settled to the back of my mind I happened to be looking for something else at the library and there it was on the shelf, right at eye level. I think someone was trying to tell me something. Not God, though. I'm pretty sure God has forsaken all Dan Brown books (what you don't believe me? Just ask the religious right).

As always there was a good concept, lots of red herrings, and some real whack job characters. Having no expectations really helped a lot, I went in for a mindless read with some roller coaster turns, lots of random yet interesting facts about arcane secret societies and history in general and came out not too disappointed. I actually didn't see the big twist coming at the end, its nice when an author can surprise me. 

The writing, as always with Dan Brown was pretty bad, and if there is an author with more awkward sentence structure out there, I have yet to read them. I feel like about 1/4 of the scenes were recycled from earlier books with a new location and new girl, but other wise were just about word for word. There was something I had read, that Dan Brown has ideas for at least ten more Robert Langdon books he wants to write, this kept circling around and around as I read. Not that I have anything against Robert Langdon, he is a mildly interesting, highly unlikely hero (despite all of the heartthrob scenes that Brown tries to write with Langdon in swim trunks at the Harvard pool). I love a guy in a tweed blazer with elbow patches more than the average girl, its just I don't try to elevate a guy in a tweed blazer with elbow patches to be anything more than what he is. James Bond I can believe as a ladies man who goes through gorgeous women like Kleenex, but Robert Langdon.... that and Brown writes each girl as so emotionally and perfectly matched to Langdon, then she disappears like his grammatical ability at the end of each book. Could there really be ten more women out there like that? Doubtful, and if there are I'm not sure how much I really want to read about them.

That criticism aside, the romance in The Lost Symbol was the most believable so far, age appropriate and well matched in terms of who they are and what they do. Not that it matters, Dr. Solomon will be gone with the wind like all the others !?! (a very Dan Brown-sqe punctuation) One of the reviewers from the ALA (American Library Association) pointed out that Brown did himself a disservice setting the book in Washington, because of the natural comparison to the National Treasure movies. I can see his point, however The Lost Symbol is clearly much darker, and (I can't believe I'm about to say this) more believable. I wish it had been summer, or I had a long plane ride, because this is precisely the kind of book you like to take along. Manageable chapters, a fast pace, and lots of fun. Had you noticed that Dan Brown (and we can presume Robert Langdon, sex god and Harvard symboligist) like italics? How could you not?

The Flavia of Life

One of the great secrets of writing books is to tap into a niche previously unexplored and make it your own. I can think of no other author who has done this so completely as Alan Bradley. True we often think of sleuths as hardboiled detectives, Sam Spade or Perry Mason. Even in the cozy area of mystery the detectives have an almost preternatural talent, special abilities and powers of observation beyond that of us normal humans. You would certainly never expect an eleven year-old with a passion for chemistry, living in a floundering, once grand estate in post-war England. Not in a million years.

Yet Flavia de Luce has become the most original detective in mystery, the debut novel featuring her, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie won every major mystery and new book award out there and the two books that followed have both been international bestsellers. Not only is Flavia not what you expect, she is beyond your wildest expectations. 

There is a woman I work with that I cross paths with occasionally, we never really talked all that much, just knew each other to say hello. One night I went to see Chris Bojhalian give a talk on The Double Bind in celebration of The Great Gatsby being chosen for the Big Read. To my surprise sitting there in the auditorium of a high school a few towns away was Jackie my work acquaintance. She invited me to sit with her and we've shared a love of books and the discussion of them ever since. Needless to say, in 2009 we saw each other after the summer vacation and both she and I  couldn't wait to share the great book we had read with each other, the book about Flavia. Enough personal history, its turing into a red herring all its own.

I think that Bradley's water gets stronger and stronger with each tale. His writing funnier and more moving and his mysteries more complex. I read one review that claimed Flavia belongs in YA literature, however I think that the plot is a bit too complex and the language too elevated. While the antics of Flavia and her two older sisters might amuse, I'm not convinced that younger readers would be able to slog through. I think the British village cozy also appeals to an older generation, reminiscent of Miss Marple,  Masterpiece Theater come to life. I have seen a few comparisons to Nancy Drew, but Flavia frankly leaves Nancy in the dust, she's much quicker and far less silly. That and the caliber of mystery doesn't even bear comparison, I think people merely draw parallels between the time period. Then again you could do this with any number of mystery series.

Flavia as a character, and her supporting cast of characters are worth the trip to Buckshaw even without the mystery. bradley brings them into much sharper focus in this volume of Flavia's adventures, with the dual problems of the family's bankruptcy and Flavia's longing for her long dead mother. I can't help but wonder what other goodies in terms of plot and character Flavia's life will bring, and of course what wonderful mysteries are yet to come. 

Divine Inspiration

This book was a random selection, however I can honestly say my estimation of it went up when I discovered that the nail polish on the toenails on the cover is actually available for purchase. Excellent marketing. I confess aesthetically the cover is great. The glut of supernatural novels that have the black background with a brightly colored significant object, all based off the original covers on Stephanie Meyer's novels gets monotonous after a while. I confess the tulle is an interesting touch, and a worthy variation of the now standard YA book cover. Looking at the cover of the second book in the series The Lost Soul however they seem to be following the color scheme of the Beautiful books, Beautiful Creatures was black and purple and Beautiful Darkness aqua like The Lost Soul. Just an interesting is entirely erroneous observation.

Okay enough blabbering, the book. Supernatural of course but with an interesting metaphysical twist (I was going to tag it as something but it really isn't religious or truly metaphysical). The main character, Grace Divine is a minister's daughter and part of a close knit, extremely conservative, almost sickeningly do-gooder family. THey love thy neighbor to the point that it actually hurts them. We get a good look at what it means to be part of a Minnesota religious community (you work your ass off all the time) for much of the book, with the action flowing in and out of trips to soup kitchens, goodwill clothing collections, Bible study, and endless potluck suppers. Daniel Kalbi is one of the unfortunates the Divine's have taken in, adopting him after he is abused by their neighbors. He has returned after many years, and there is still a dark secret surrounding his departure. Grace begins to fall for him, despite everyones warnings to the contrary and the bodies of humans and animals that keep turing up. 

The story is well constructed and the mystery of what really happened between daniel and her brother Jude keeps Grace interesting. The romance is slow to reach fruition and reminiscent of Twilight, with similar results, but Daniel is much more interesting because he is a bad boy. If you can weed your way through some of the squeaky clean hypocrisy and cliches its not a bad read. Bree Despain shows promise, hopefully in the future she'll turn her hand to something more unique, because I think then she'll really shine. 

Higher and Higher

A couple of weeks ago I had a tutoring appointment at the public library in the town where I work. My pupil was late so while I waited I browsed the discarded paperback sale. I was surprised that so many were only a year or two old and for sale. Its an extremely small library however and I think they are so strapped for space that something has to give. regardless of why I purchased three books while I waited, all attractively priced at $0.10 each. Personally I feel as though I got screwed out of a dime on this one. 

I won't really bore you with the details, I'm sorry I was bored with the details. I confess that the last eighty pages or so I skimmed myself. There was a promising start, a earl on the run accused of fooling around with Princess Caroline, Prinny's wife. He returns to his native Scotland to hide out with bounty hunters hot on his tail. He is captured by a Scottish landowner who threatens to turn him in unless he is hand fasted (a trial marriage for a year and a day) to the man's disobedient niece Lizzie. 

Of course they'll start off hating each other then slowly fall in love. It takes way too long, and most of that time is given over to vague searches through the woods for a source of income, a secondary love story with Lizzie' s paralyzed sister, and menial household chores. It was promising for a minute when Lizzie's other suitor showed up, but even that wasn't enough of a defibrillator. I wanted to like it but it was hopeless. The romances so far this year haven't been promising, we'll see at some point if the other twenty cents was wasted as well.

Glass Half Empty

No 3-D book image this time, sorry to disappoint. I knew you'd get over it. So as predicted (Ash Hole) moving from NYC to Alicante, the title city of glass was not the best thing that could happen to CLary and her band of merry Shadowhunters. We're not in Brooklyn anymore Toto. Valentine is heading for the sacred homeland of the Nephilim to get the last of the Mortal Instruments, the mirror. THe powers that be don't believe he can breach the demon-repelling glass towers, The Lightwoods and Jace go to try and convince them otherwise. Clary of course tags along, despite just about everyone objecting.

The whole book reads like a dark fairy tale, what was once a fresh, modern take on a fantasy tale turns sickly sweet and looses its edge when put into a setting reminiscent of Sleeping Beauty or Little Red Ridinghood. Learning the mores and landscape of the new location takes up too much time, and it often turns into a reminiscence of the good old days before Valentine got all crazy.

The book does answer a lot of questions, not all but many and the major story line is resolved. I think I would have liked the book better if it was an actual conclusion to the story. It has all the elements, the bad guy vanquished, the imprisoned mother returned, brother and sister no longer brother and sister so they can get freaky without us getting sick... but there is still three books to go in the series. Clare has introduced the read Jonathan, Clary's evil brother who has taken over world domination as a career path following Valentine's death but you have to wonder if Clare is getting ready to jump the shark. 

We loose a few friends other than Valentine, and some of the deaths are devastating. We also get to find out some relevant history, particularly in terms of the Circle. It looks like Luke may stop being pathetic and actually get laid after 20+ years as an errand boy/werewolf (really his and Jocelyn's relations ship is Luke and Lorelai's friendship from Gilmore Girls with less coffee and more wolf, he even has the flannel shirt). I honestly can't say where this is going next, but the City of Fallen Angels is coming out in April, and I really do hope we go back to the real world, the books were just better there.

Let's Hear It For The Whores

I had a buy one paperback, get one 50% off coupon at Boarders, and figured I would take advantage of their Chapter 11 status. Notorious Pleasures (A Hoyt Matey) was the first paperback (mass market, thus the cheaper of the two) and India Black (a trade paperback, and the full priced option). It was an on sight purchase, the author's first book, impulsive but when I opened the book and saw that the first line was, "My name is India Black and I am a whore." I knew then and there I would get my moneys worth.

The concept is simple, the madam of a successful high class brothel has a client die in the arms of one of her employees (in addition to his Queen Victoria outfit and switch) and has to dispose of the body. Unbeknownst to her he is an employee of her Majesty, carrying valuable information in his dispatch case about British troop movements. In return for disposing of the body one of his fellow intelligence agents, the dark and mysterious Mr. French (we can only presume an ancestor of the one from Family Affair, a pity India Black wasn't named Mrs. Beasly) blackmails India into finding the now missing case. 

Set in Victorian London the scene yo-yo's from luxury to squalor, brandy at the fireside to a sleigh ride through a blizzard. India is a hilarious guide through her misadventures, and only a portion of that humor comes from her occupation. Her role as a madam and a former whore puts her in an odd limbo and often her shifting position works to her advantage. There are a few borderline scandalous scenes, though she does warn in the Prologue that if you are prone to fits of vapors you should shove off. Its sexy and fun, not raunchy and cheap. The sexual tension between India and French (we're not yet sure of his Christian name, I'm not sure even Carol Carr knows, she states on her blog that it never occurred to her readers would be interested in her character's pasts) keeps things fresh and interesting. The sexual tension between India and the rest of the world makes for plenty of hi-jinx.

This is my pick for the new author to watch. Its a promising concept that has the potential for longevity and a wide variety of permutations in the future. While there are a growing number of Victorian mystery series on the market it stays away from either the aristocracy or the gutter, giving a rare glance at the extensive middle class that we seldom see. THink a much more vamped up Dickens. Carr explains her situations well, and never takes it too far, again a temptation. She is also not overtly politically correct, she tells it like it is without trying to backpedal on 150 years of political incorrectness. Not since Pretty Woman has being a hooker be so chic. 

Inter... Pursued By A Bear

Okay, bad Shakespeare joke I know. Then again most of my post titles are bad jokes, its one of my fatal flaws. After my gaffe with the reverse selection of Haunt Me Still I had resolved to go back to the beginning and boy am I glad I did. Interred With Their Bones was so different than its follow up that I almost didn't believe they were from the same series. This novel had a lot more action, a better more realistic and believable mystery, and ditched the frankly stupid supernatural element. Kate and Ben were also much more interesting than their watered down versions in Haunt Me Still. There were some moments where the tension literally made you skin crawl in this book, while in the other it was more like people would randomly pop up with knives like in a haunted house around Halloween.

The parallel mysteries, first a search for a missing play by Shakespeare based on a subplot from Don Quixote, and a series of murders of noted Shakespearian authorities staged to look like deaths from Shakespeare takes a while to resolve itself, but won't disappoint along the way. Even I who have read the next book and knows what happens at time was on the edge of my seat, a rare quality in a book. Pair it with a decent mystery and you've got a real winner. 

Again, as with Haunt Me Still, a more than passing knowledge of SHakespeare is a major plus. Without it you will miss a lot of clues, Carrell does her best to explain every reference but she still assumes that readers will be able to grasp the implications. If you didn't get the joke in the title, you probably won't enjoy this one all too much. Her descriptions of the locals are excellent, as someone who has been to Stratford-Upon-Avon the world she creates is extremely true to life. Again the historical flashbacks are extraneous (or at least I think so, I didn't read any of them this time, and I was never confused for a second) feel free to skim or skip. Don't hold your breath too hard for romance, because despite all evidence to the contrary you will be disappointed, however the Stanley-Pearl partnership is satisfying even without it. I'm still not sold that the Washington Post was correct when they said in their review that this was a perfect beach read, but until spring comes it will keep you busy.

Ash Hole

I got so excited about the three dimensional photographs on Cassandra Clare's site that I went back for another one. So much depth. The book...well I'll let you determine that yourself. The pace is good and you certainly will have plenty of action to keep up with. Clary is still reeling after the revelation that her lust bunny Jace is also her brother. Pause for appropriate gagging noise here. Now obviously there is a certain ick factor involved, whether incest is best or not. However when C.S. Harris did the same thing with Sebastian St. Cyr and Kat Boleyn  in Why Mermaids Sing it wasn't quite so gross despite the fact that they'd been lovers for a decade. Jace and Clary share a few chaste kisses and it seems 100x worse. Two possible explanations, one they're kids really and it seems somehow more obscene, secondly Clare feels the need to sort of continuously rub our noses in it, the elephant is not just in the room, its stampeding nonstop.

If I had to give one reason, and one reason only why I came back to these books it would be Magnus Bane. read the books and you'll understand why. He's an 800 year-old warlock who dresses like Joseph in his amazing technicolor dreamcoat with spiked, glittery blue hair and a wicked sense of humor. He pops in and out playing the role of gay lover, helpful magical resource, frat boy, jailer, High Warlock of Brooklyn, and relief from teenage angst. Simon also actually gets interesting in this one, in a big way. He and Clary give love a chance, but you know that ain't going to end well. His story changes the whole dynamic of the story.

Clary is starting to learn more about her new life as a Shadowhunter and her abilities though the number of unanswered  questions still mounts. This story reads like a love story to the city, exploring the uniqueness of Manhattan and its environs. We also get a taste of the other Downworlder factions, werewolves, vampires, and faeries in this book which gives up more insight into some of the secondary characters like Luke. Valentine is as badass and crazy as ever, though her seems crueler and for less pragmatic than he was in the first book.

I think overall this one will be the pick of the litter, I see in the third book they'll be heading to the mythical city of Alicante, and I think the removal from New York will loose some of what gives these books heart, they're about the mean streets. Also the play of characters and unfolding of the story was well paced, lightening I'm not convinced will strike twice. Unsurpassed for drama, big explosions, shocking turns, and glittery makeup.

A Hoyt Matey

Believe me it took some serious discipline (nothing kinky) to refrain from putting either 'notorious' or 'pleasures' in the title. NEver having published anything I don't know the exact details of the through process that goes into choosing a book title, I know publishers have the final say for up and down. But can you imagine sitting down and saying, "I think this little beauty will be called Notorious Pleasures." Obviously Elizabeth Hoyt did. Now Hoyt and I have a checkered reading past, I enjoy her work on the surface, good concepts, but underneath they disturb me a little. Her characters, not to put too fine a point on it are fucked up. Like you would not let your children anywhere near these people. Her writing is also on a number of different levels not at all sexy, sometimes its violent, sometimes its a little twisted, often the word choice is just wrong (if you don't believe me think about this, should the word 'crammed' ever be included in a love scene?).

I will confess I have not read the first three books she wrote, the three princes novels. I have read all four of the Four Soldiers books and now both of the Maiden Lane books. Notorious Pleasures has probably been the best so far, and I think the third Maiden Lane book, Scandalous Desires about Silence and Charming Mickey has potential (how could it not with names like those?). It opens with the virginal maiden walking in on our hero having sex with another woman (see I told you it was twisted) sufficiently scandalous. Set in an unusual time is history for a historical romance, the 1730's this is one thing it has going for it. WIth most historical romance being either medieval, Regency, or Victorian this offers a fresh perspective and a grittier backdrop. Hero and Griffin are satisfying characters, and the way their roles reverse lends itself to interesting reading. The side story setting up the third book with Silence is a little random, though to her credit Hoyt does try to make it fit. The side track with Hero's fiancee and his other woman fits but is somehow unnecessary. 

I did like it htough, there was enough adventure without it seeming flat out ridiculous (which its predecessor WIcked Intentions had ) and the romance that blossoms is torrid and tortured, if tied up just a little bit too neatly in the end. Hoyt knows her history and readers will enjoy returning to the streets of St. Giles and the ballrooms of Mayfair equally. Overall, despite the name, I too took notorious pleasure in this one.

No Bones About It

Very dramatic picture, eh? Its three dimensional which you don't get a lot here at Headcase, Bookcase. Don't get used to it. So I bit and tried to go modern with Cassandra Clare. Predictably I didn't like it as well, and surprisingly I don't think it was because I went into it with a bad attitude. First I didn't think the characters were as finely drawn or nearly as interesting as Clockwork Angel, the roles are essentially the same with a few more stereotypes thrown in. Secondly the author attempts to weave several subplots, which we know will eventually make sense, but in reality just frustrate us. Third, I understand the idea of one big happy family tied by their love of demon fighting, but honestly she pushes the envelope a bit much.

Quick rundown of characters: Clary (Clarissa, I know all I can think of is that old show Clarissa Explains It All where the best friend climbs in the window) artistic, lonely teenager, different but she doesn't know why, raised by a single mom Jocelyn (who disappears) and her mother's lovelorn friend Luke (a werewolf unbeknownst to her). Jace, misunderstood hunk of a Nephilim she sees killing a demon at an underground club

and his merry band of Shadowhunter "family" including his fighting partner Alec (a closeted gay in love with Jace) and Alec's knockout younger sister Isabelle. This group of kids is essentially on their own wandering the streets of New York except for Hodge their cursed tutor who can't go outside.

The questions abound, where is Clary's mom? Is Clary really a Shadowhunter? Why did her mom leave the group? What's up with the gypsy lady downstairs? WHy can't she remmber anything about this weird group of people? There's also a mundane (regular peeps, like Muggles) best friend Simon who harbors a secret crush on Clary. Undoubtedly my favorite part of the book is where Simon drinks a blue drink at a warlock party to impress Isabelle and turns into a rat. Nonstop entertainment. The book has a few moments where it comes together, the city of bones that the story takes its name from and the mysterious city of the dead it represents is a gothic delight and the Silent Brothers, sightless, silent but brilliant, monks who are healers will give you chills. Unfortunately the plot doesn't always pull through, sometimes Clare is more caught up with taling about the cool stuff Clary is discovering to get to the point and get on with the story, a trap Libba Bray often fell into when her heroines went into their alternate world. As exciting as otherness can be, what makes stories interesting is reality, how the characters learn to deal with the other things in addition to the lives they already lead. WIth varying degrees of success of course

You will undoubtedly figure out the crux of the plot long before the author gets to the point, and it will leave you scratching your head and possibly grossed out for a while. The series is projected to have six books, which seems like a lot, and Clare will definitely have to pull some new tricks to get her readers through. We'll just have to wait and see.

Like Clockwork

This was another book I waited way too long for at the library. I think it came out last summer then I saw it a Boarders and requested it. Next week is March so you do the math. Unlike the debacle with Straight Up I think this one was actually worth the wait. If you're familiar with the steampunk genre this definantely qualifies, picture a whole bunch of Artemis Gordons running around with swords battling the forces of darkness and you have it about right. This is the first of a trilogyof books that proceeds Cassandra Clare's bestselling Mortal Instruments...wait what do you call a series of six books. A sexolgy? Now I've never read them, actually I've never even heard of them so I have no basis for comparison.

The concept is fun, a girl crosses the Atlantic to join her older brother in England. The representatives who meet her ship claiming to be from her brother kidnap her and hold her hostage, forcing her to discover that she has the ability to turn into other people. THey keep her subdued by threatening his life. She is told that because of her special talent she is promised in marriage to the Magister, a dark leader of Downworlders, the vampires, werewolves, warlocks, etc. You know the type.

Only when a Shadowhunter, one of the descendants of Angels sworn to protect humans against Downworlders stumbles across her by accident does she escape and begin to learn more about the strange realities of the world. 

I think if you're going to try and get published in the young adult genre today you have to have some kind of supernatural angle. I can think of very few examples, whether historical fiction or not that don't (think of Libba Bray and her Gemma Doyle trilogy starting with A Great and Terrible Beauty). Meg Cabot(though her Mediator series of YA and her new series for adults starting with Insatiable are supernatural), Ally Carter who deals with the more spy genre, Gossip Girl, Anna Godbersen, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, but face it you have to have at least one vampire wandering around to satisfy readers. Clockwork Angel doesn't disappoint on this count, giving a fascinating history to the race of Nephilim, or Shadowhunter, the descendents of angels. She tells a good yard, one that keeps you constantly straining to go deeper and learn more, revealed layer by layer it makes for excellent reading.

Her characters are also finely drawn and engaging. The trio at the center of the story, Tessa our heroine and the two Nephilim who save her, Will and Jem are all endearing characters. Tessa despite her magical ability to transform is still very much practically grounded in the real world, willing to sacrifice life and limb to save her douchebag of a brother. Will is the Byronic hero, constantly angry and wounded. He uses people and things like Kleenex as if trying to prove something existential about life. THough the majority of his life is a secret, Tessa of course seems determined to melt away his icy facade. Jem is the obligatory consumptive of the VIctorian era, an addict to demon poison (think opium addict) it is slowly killing him, and he tries to prove himself as much as he can before the inevitable. He's the Jacob Black of this story, falling hopelessly for Tessa, who though attracted to him is much more of a mother hen. THe secondary characters are no less interesting, CHarlotte and Henry the disfunctional leaders of the Nephilim who are young, inexperienced, and eccentric caretakers as well as Jessamine the airhead with a heart of gold and parasol of steel. 

Its a good lead in to a series, though surprisingly little has been revealed. Character development is certainly a premium for Clare, and it works because so much of the books reads as internal monologue. There is enough violence to keep our dark hearts satisfied and a minimum of romance to keep me from gagging. I'll confess I liked it a lot, perhaps enough to try for the sequels in the mortal Instruments series, even though I never find modern life as exciting as the past.

The Scottish Play

I've done it again, read the second book in a series before the first. I did it with Christi Phillips mysteries, and in the case of the Sarah Woolson novels I started with the third book in the series. I blame the publishes partly because numbers or an itemized list of titles would be helpful. The library does it on their database, providing a complete list of books in a series, why not publishing companies? This is especially true in series with similar names, the Sookie Stackhouse mysteries which all have 'dead' in the title immediately come to mind. Deanna Raybourn wrote on her blog that after the first three books in her Lady Julia Grey mysteries (Silent in the Grave, Silent in the Snactuary, and Silent on the Moor) her publishers were afraid of just that and switched from the word 'silent' to a new run of three books featuring the word 'dark' (The Dark Road to Darjeeling was released in October and the fifth book The Dark Inquiry will be released in July). Okay tirade over, I've made my point, on to the actual book.

I came for the Macbeth (in case you didn't know its supposed bad luck to say the name in a theater, so its referred to as "the Scottish play"). Its always been a favorite of mine, since I first read it in a Shakespeare for kids picture book, I remember the site of Macbeth's head on a pole at the end made quite an impression on me. I've seen the play performed, on numerous films (including the disturbing Japanese Throne of Blood when I was in high school), and have read some retellings, including Rebecca Reisert's The Third Witch which was one of our summer reading assignments in high school to prepare us for reading the play later that year. There is something primal and satisfying about it as a story, its shocking and bloody, magical and a little disturbing. Carrell's book includes all of these attributes putting her main character right in the thick of things in Scotland, where the events are said to have really happened before the Norman conquest in 1066. The element of magic is there with modern day Druids and magical items. THe blood is there with staged human sacrifices and murders staged to look like tarot cards. 

Not having read the first Kate Stanley mystery, Interred With Their Bones did not leave me confused in the least, the only part I was a little lost on was her now failed relationship with Ben Pearl, which was danced around but not really well explained, it plays a relatively minor part in the story as a whole so don't fret about it. The body count was staggering with something like ten bodies piling up by the end, which puts it a little on the extreme side. Carrell is a Shakespearian scholar and writes like one, if you're not willing to learn the history behind the story don't bother, I slogged through most but confess I eventually stopped reading the historical flashbacks because they only confused me. THey do nothing to further the plot, and believe me you'll understand the story just fine if you don't read them. I think its just Carrell indulging herself in a period piece.

I like it enough to go back and read the first novel, which I'll probably do in the near future. It will be curious to see where the series goes, I mean how far can you take mysteries about Shakespeare in the modern world. THese are not the lightest of reads, aside from just the history you need to have more than a passing knowledge of Shakespeare or you'll be lost, Carrell assumes her readers know their Bard. Two thirds of the jokes and illusions will go over your head unless you dust off that unabridged Shakespeare, or at least re-watch a little Kenneth Branaugh. Yum.

Heroic Efforts

So I had intended to leave off from delving back into the Greek myth that never ends for a while, I've got a backlog of grownup books waiting for me at home. As you remember if you've been listening to my grousing, I like Riordan's work, but I've got to be in the right frame of mind to trip the light fantastic. I was resolved until I happened to be left at work without a book to read and when I wandered to the Reading classroom next door there it was on the end of a shelf. And I thought, why the hell not, its a Friday, the kids are taking a quiz, lets do this.

In retrospect, a very good way to spend a Friday afternoon. When my Reading teacher friend and I had discussed the fact that I was stuck on The Red Pyramid and its dual narrators and more grown up humor she told me I'd like The Lost Hero. Which I did, Riordan entertains many favorite Greek myths that somehow eluded him in the Percy Jackson series, and brings in a few more unexpected ones.

The plot lines are more complex than some of the other stories, but in this case they weave together quite well and nothing seems random or misplaced. The hefty ~500 pages leave plenty of room to ensure everything gets its due. The continuation of the Percy Jackson series isn't overpowering, and we are treated to a whole other side of our old favorites, and Percy's absence does make my heart grow fonder of our old friend. The three way narrative is certainly a departure, and is different from the back and forth bickering tone of The Red Pyramid. The three narrators Jason, Piper, and Leo are very different from one another both in personal history and motivation. They often forge their on paths, making the book sometimes seem like a personal story for each of them. The fact that Jason is wracked with amnesia and both Piper and Leo have memories altered by the mist only adds to the confusion at points. Riordan is certainly more guarded, less inclined to give away major plot points, keeping his secrets until the bitter end.

The question of Greek versus Roman interpretations of polytheism has long been something readers demanded from Riordan, and he finally starts to satisfy in The Lost Hero, in fact the big revel at its end is that there is a Roman Camp Half-Blood out near San Francisco and Jason is its equivalent of Percy Jackson. Not a whole lot is actually said about differences between greek and Roman views of the gods, other than that the Romans saw their gods as more violent and warlike. Riordan does take the chance however to explore some of the less prominent gods and goddesses in this book making Piper a daughter of Aphrodite, who is something more than superficial and Leo a son of Hephestus with brains as well as brawn. All in all this book is just deeper, I think often in the Percy Jackson books he had to hold back on description for the sake of brevity to meet the appropriate length for adolescent readers. Considering the man is pretty much set for life he can write as much as he damn well pleases now, and his writing has improved as a result of it.

Afternoon Delight

Delight may be a slight exaggeration, but I just really wanted to use that title. This last of the Hathaway family romances is a brief one, probably almost a hundred pages under the others in the series. I've read all but the first and I've enjoyed them, and to be honest I'm not surprised Beatrix's story is a bit of a flop. Throughout the antics of her brother and three sisters Beatrix has been a sweet, fun secondary character but she's a little too one dimensional to be a true heroine and far too sweet and naive to be a true vixen. 

In the other siblings stories her animals darted in and out giving comic relief, unfortunately they all must be tired because they're no where in sight. The story, reminiscent of Cyrano de Bergerac with her odd love of animals being the handicap she hides when writing to a hero in the Crimean War is good and interesting, until he comes home. Aside from the expected conflict of revealing herself as the woman he feel in love with via the pen there is an element of post traumatic stress involved (I'm getting flashbacks to Elizabeth Hoyt's Four Soldiers series) which makes our hero unpredictably violent. Then there is the late stage, out-of-nowhere assassination attempt that is both random and unneeded. 

All in all it was okay, it lacked the charm of the usual Kleypas fare and was dry, but it wasn't actually a bad book. If you came for the series stick it out but on its own Love in the Afternoon is forgettable and not exactly a delight by any stretch of the imagination.

Last Straw

When all was said and done I was very favorably impressed with Riordan's grand finale. The anticipated 300+ page battle is actually tempered with a few very interesting side trips along the way. THe characters reach actualization, the problems are plausibly resolved, and unlike Harry Potter you aren't left wonder in WTF...? I thought he died....?

Percy's trip to the Underworld and his following in the footsteps of Achilles was both fascinating and revealing about him as a person and his priorities in life. Nico di Angelo as a character steals a good portion of the story, and though he was a late bloomer in Riordan's saga, he certainly comes into his own, The fact that Riordan doesn't shy away from the dark side is one of the things I like best about his work. In so many books, especially for young adults there is a very clear dichotomy. Good and bad, black and white, right and wrong and never the twain shall meet. In the world of percy Jackson and the Olympians there is a much more balanced (and realistic) view of life. Often you need to acknowledge, accept, and even use some of that bad, dark, black, negativity because its a part of life. Ignoring it will neither work nor help you achieve the end you desire. 

All of Riordan's characters have a role to play, and sacrifice is never undertaken lightly. There is no grand tally at the end where he just lists the fallen, each hero's death is documented and the role they have to play explained. Overall I have always found Riordan to be a champion for those kids who are different, and in the last stand everyone, the creepy son of darkness, the airhead beauty queen, the muscle-head, even the Party Ponies have their moment in the sun.

Perhaps my favorite thing about the book and maybe even the series was the idea behind the title. In my post on The Titan's Curse I bitched about the title being hard to pick out in the story. In The Last Olympian the moral of the story is linked body and soul to the idea of the last Olympian, the forgotten goddess. Hestia, the goddess of the home and hearth was my goddess in high school Latin (called Vesta, think vestal virgins) so I have an old soft spot for her. Beyond that however I have to applaud Riordan's brave stance that he articulates through her, that sometimes the best thing we can do, the most powerful, and often the hardest thing  to do, is nothing. It is very tempting to charge cannons and slay the enemy, but its not always what is right or necessary. This little gem does a lot for Percy, indeed it may be the making of him. 

The battles themselves are lengthy and numerous, too many for me to talk about. Of course the fact that Riordan has started to publish a new series (The Heros of Olympus) including some of the same characters tells us that all of our favorites survive. They mostly get what they want, Percy gets Annabeth, Annabeth gets to redesign Olympus (and Percy), Rachel gets to be the Oracle (not sure if that was such a great deal), Chiron gets to rebuild Cap Half-Blood bigger and better with more ugly cabins to fill, and Grover gets to be the new Lord of the Wild running the Council of Cloven Elders. Is it just me or did the funny little goat man seem to get the best deal?

Riordan's writing is sort of like teaching, the first class of the day is always a little shaky, but as you go through the day it only improves. You get your rhythm, you cut out the unnecessary stuff and hone in on what is vital interesting. Having started with The Red Pyramid I think his narrative is certainly more sophisticated, his characters better developed and his humor more elevated. Not that Percy Jackson wasn't good, the extras just make for a meatier, more satisfying read. We'll see how The Lost Hero fares sometime in the future, because you know we haven't heard the last of this crew.

You'll Need a Whiskey Straight Up....

The quote " Ireland is a good place to get lucky" is so woefully misplaced on the cover of this novel that I don't even know where to start. A) if you are going to make your hero be on the run from the mob, you must insert some form of danger (we've all read romances, the mob kidnaps his lady and he has to rescue her...not in this book). B) Sheep farming is never sexy. C) subplots pertaining to real estate are never pertinent or welcome. D) marriage before the end of the book, with no appreciable conflicts just isn't kosher, if you're going to get a happily ever after you're going to have to work for it dammit!

Now part of my discomfort with this story is the fact that I waited so damn long to get this book, something ridiculous like nine months, long enough that the library system wouldn't let me cancel my hold. They figure if you've waited that long you have to ready it, no bones about it. Seeing as I could have had a baby in that time,  if I wait that long it better be a quality item. I know what you're all saying, its a romance what do you expect? Don't make me sic Candy and Sarah from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books on you. Many romances are original, putting their own unique twist on a classic genre. Many but not all. 

Not to put too fine a point on it but the plot here just wasn't reasonably considered, the characters were inconsistent and not all that interesting, and I kept waiting for the shoot-em-up theatrics to come (like you wouldn't be). Instead of Sopranos I got soma, I needed a drink just to plow my way through the rest of it. And yes despite the Jameson I am bitter.

Oh and E) the sex scenes in this book are so few and far between that "getting lucky" isn't even an option for the most part.

Battle Stations

The Greek myths are getting hardcore now. I admit, I've been severely sucked in, now I have to find out hat happens. Too much, it turns out, at least in terms of book 4 in the series. The pace is a little hectic, actually a lot like Forrest Gump, running one minute and well...slow the next. If you can make it through those slow patches however I think you'll find it satisfying overall.

 A good question to start off with is why no one noticed the entrance to the famed labyrinth before now (then again why did no once pick up on Luke's sociopathic tendencies before he stole Zeus's Master Bolt in the first book is another good question). The concept of the labyrinth is a good one, it seems to give the plot a crux which Riordan sometimes seems to loose as he attempts to touch on every Greek myth out there but it does fall apart at times. His red herrings are exceptional, which personally masks the meandering, I love me a good red herring.

A number of things we've been waiting for finally happen in this book, Grover's achievement of his lifelong dream, Nico's peace with his sister's death, Percy and Annabeth macking it, teenagers flying without the use of narcotics of excessive speed, a good old fashioned catfight, and someone tearing apart the ugly cabins at Camp half-Blood. the whole book is like a drawn bowstring, you keep waiting for the shot, for the other shoe to drop but you don't really get quite that far yet.

In Harry Potter (call me an ass but clearly in terms of plot it is no longer even worth ignoring the parallels) the sixth book was about the preparation for and eventual occurrence of Dumbledore's death. In Percy's case however his battle at camp doesn't have those kind of catastrophic consequences, instead we see him learning to lean more on others, versus good old Harry's solitude solution to problems. I'm still drawn in enough to want to finish the series, though I'm fairly certain that The Last Olympian will just be several hundred pages of battle sequences, but it is undeniable that to see how Riordan plays it will be intriguing.

If I had to pick the most encouraging things that book 4 threw at us readers it came down to Calypso and Luke being possessed. The story of Calypso is of course an oldie but a goodie from Greek mythology but the angst the Percy undergoes as a result of it, the temptation to just take the very easy road is an interesting one. Percy grows up immeasurably in this book, and he is progressively becoming an extremely interesting character with more layers than an onion. That and hen he kisses the ladies he can make volcanos explode, don't even try to deny that you were impressed by that. Then there's Luke, handsome, once lovable Luke that we can't seem to get rid of, regardless how hard we try. Oh wait, I almost forgot...we finally did he is now just a husk being inhabited by the evil Titan lord Kronos. Possession is always cool, an even though you may feel a twinge of regret that this jaded, angry boy has been taken advantage of, face it him being possessed is still extremely cool, I dare say way cooler than the sixteen-year-old-Voldemort-hiding-in-a-diary plot any day. 

Do Not Disturb

As far as rooms go, this one should have a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. If you take a gander at the cover it promises that "the heirs of Sherlock Holmes solve the world's most perplexing cold cases". False advertising. Now I love Sherlock Holmes, I've read through the cannon multiple times, I see every television version out there, I even started dating a guy who shared a mutual love of the consulting detective at 221 B Baker STreet. I will admit that I am often disappointed at the fanfiction recreations of Holmes or his methods. I thought The Shadow of Reichenbach Falls was cracked out, please the evil spirit of Moriarty jumping from body to body? Then again I have always given the Mary Russell novels, which I was very dubious about a fair chance (for what its worth I think they're very well written and have kept my interest through something like nine or ten novels now). Some more modern versions, notably The Baker Street Letters I'm more mixed about ( though I do have the second book in the series The Brothers of Baker Street, coming out on March 1, reserved at the library). However The Murder Room just had way too much going on.

In the first forty pages the perspective jumped about six times, the anecdotes which were supposed to set the scene just confused me, and worst of all I was bored out of my mind. The antics of the so-called Vidocq society (after the first professional detective) were just plain dull. The 100% cerebral reasoning of cases was flat and the childish bickering between the three keynote members was just plain stupid. I'm all for witty banter, if its actually witty. Once the concept  was established I confess I zipped in and out, picking and choosing the chapters I thought would be interesting. It may be cheating to say that I never read the whole book cover to cover, but their you have it . Mea culpa, I assure you my life in no way feels bereft.

Part of me selfishly wonders if the writing is too highbrow for me, perhaps I'm more comfortable with a lower element in writing. After all the young adult fiction may be stunting my reading abilities. In my defense however when I read, no matter what I read, its the good story, the satisfying story that I'm looking for in the end. The Murder Room wasn't going to meet that bottom line from the first five pages, I stuck with it hoping that the human element would kick in, but it never did. What makes Sherlock Holes endearing, even fascinating is his Boswell, without his human half displayed as Watson (or in Laurie R. King's books as his wife Mary) your left reading a police file folder about a crime, or a tedious explanation of how to put together the solution to a murder the same way you would explain how to put together a bookshelf from Ikea. I've never read true crime, and this book is a little to true crime to be my kind of novel.