Mystery & Crime Fiction Blog Carnival Sept 2010

Month nine in the year!  I still can't get over how fast the time flies.  A year ago this month I started this blog and in December I started the Carnivals.  I hope you are enjoying the blog and carnivals as much as I am.

Police Procedural Book Review

Booking Mama gives us 31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan

It's Not All Gravy gives us The Fourth Sacrifice by Peter May

Private Investigator Book Review

Back to the Mountains gives us The Middle Temple Murder by J.S. Fletcher

Amateur Sleuth book Review

The Star Celeb gives us Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus, a young adult sleuthing mystery.

Mysteries and My Musings gives us Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen

Mysteries and My Musings gives us The Crocodile's Last Embrace by Suzanne Arruda

 

Cozy Mystery Book Review

Royals Reviews gives us The Thief Taker by Janet Gleeson
Pudgy Penguin Perusals gives us Grace under Pressure by Julie Hyzy

Burried Under Books gives us Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder by Chris Cavender

Thriller/Suspense Fiction Book Review

Missy Frye presents Solitary by Travis Thrasher and shares it is a brief look at Travis Thrasher's young adult thriller.

Author Interview

None submitted

Writing Tips and Advice

Elijana Kindel gives us Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts… for One Writer

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Review - The Spider's Web

Just a few days until the Anniversary BASH, check here for all the exciting details and notice the featured items on the sidebar.  In the meantime let's visit the Arapahoe Reservation in Wyoming for a case of murder.  It has been a long time since I have read one of the Wind River Mysteries - since the third book in this long running series, so I was tickled to have the chance to review the latest.

Author: Margaret Coel

Copyright: September, 2010 (Berkeley) 304 pgs

Series: # 15 in the Wind River Mysteries

Sensuality etc.: Occasional swear words

Mystery sub-genre: Amateur Sleuth

Main Character:  Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and Jesuit priest, Father John O'Malley

Setting: Modern day, Arapaho reservation in Wyoming

Obtained book through: Publisher for an honest review

The story opens with the discovery of Ned Windsong shot to death and his recent and surprising fiancée Marcy is the only witness. She identifies two Arapaho troublemakers (Lionel Lookingglass and Dwayne Hawk,) as the killers.  Marcy's father is a mega TV Evangelist who hires Vicki to represent his daughter and ensure she doesn't get railroaded as the "outsider".  Ned's family clings to the belief that Marcy herself was responsible.

Believeing that Marcy is in danger, Father John offers the mission's guest house for her safe keeping until the Federal agents find Lionel and Dwayne.  But Father John starts to suspect Marcy has some deep seated issues.  Father John also figures that Lionel and Dwayne were not the brains involved, so there must be a leader who is likely more dangerous yet.  Ned's prior girlfriend, Roseanne Birdwoman may be the one who is in immediate danger as she puts together several pieces to the eleborate web of deception where "trust nobody" is a mantra to live by but she has no way of hiding.

Chapters are told from either Vicky, Father John or Roseanne Birdwoman's point of view and this works in showing the reader just enough of the danger that surrounds Ned's death.  The killer or killers are still at large and Ned's murder starts to unravel the tale of what he had been trying to untangle himself from.  Ned's decision to get his life right and dance the Sun Dance were cut short because what he got involved with wasn't letting him go.
 
Vicky doesn't have as much of a role in this one, Father John and Roseanne Birdwoman seem to be center stage more often, which worked out fine for the story.   The running thread of an undercurrent between Vicky and Father John still shows.  I really came to appreciate the character of Father John more in this novel.  Father John has been joined at the mission by an elderly and retired Bishop who is a surprisingly welcome addition who I look forward to getting to know better.   I couldn't help but feel like taking the character Roseanne into my care, she becomes such a breathing person.  Miss Coel expertly reveals her characters in the midst of this tragedy and draws the reader into the web of Ned Birdsong's murder. 

He realized he had been hoping there was some mistake, but this was the same house he had come to last year to anoint Ella's father, Albert, before he died.  The Windong family had been parishioners at St. Francis Mission longer than he had been here.  He had known Ned since he was a kid, brown face and big teeth, playing first base on the Eagles baseball  team.  Ned had moved to Jackson Hole for a while, but then he'd come hom.  He'd stopped by the mission twice, something on his mind each time, Father John thought, but when he tried to ask, Ned had shrugged away the question.  He was going to go into the Sun Dance, he said.  Donald Little Robe, one of the elders, would sponsor him, be his spiritual grandfather, teach him the prayers and the rituals and help him catch up to the other dancers who had been preparing for most of the year.  "I wanna get back to myself," Ned had told him.

I felt the plot was well done and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat.  The suspense is finely layered like a good Hitchcock thriller.  The reveal of the killer(s) is handled well with a good dramatic scene.  The wrap up actually leaves the door open for a follow up on this tale with Father John being in danger down the road. 
 
I must thank Miss Coel for her deft handling of the cultural issues that interplay between the mission and the traditional native beliefs.  Neither is lessened for the sake of the other but rather an honoring of both spiritual paths is exemplified.  Which brings me to the setting - a Native American Reservation.  The unique and complex challenges facing reservation life are the backdrop and you come away with a part of your heart touched for this mini-visit.   This book took me back to my visit to Wounded Knee and I thank Miss Coel for that.
 
Miss Coel's writing style is subtle and easy going, drawing the reader in until you feel you are there, truly in the action and you never realized the transition was happening.  If you have never read the Wind River Mysteries, this is a good place to start.  I think most readers will find themselves addicted in short order and start reading all of the books in the series.   I feel Miss Coel has grown along with the series as a first class writer.  If you enjoyed Tony Hillerman I think you will equally enjoy Margaret Coel.
 
 
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Review - The Crocodile's Last Embrace

We continue to get closer the Blog Anniversary Celebration - note the sidebar for more details about the giveaways on Sept 15-16th.

I received this book from the publisher and realized this was the latest in a series I have been meaning to read - so I jumped at the chance to review this.  Today we travel to Africa in the 1920's for an adventure.

Author: Suzanne Arruda

Copyright:  September, 2010 (NAL Trade) 377 pgs

Series: # 6 in the Jade del Cameron Mysteries
 
Sensuality: Some innuendo
 
Mystery sub-genre: Historical Amateur Sleuth
 
Main Character: Jade del Cameron (aka Simba Jike), an independent women, former WWI ambulance driver now a motorcycle-riding, knife-throwing photojournalist with her pet Cheetah, Biscuit
 
Setting: 1921 Nairobi, Kenya (Eastern Central Africa)
 
Obtained book through: Publisher for an honest review


This book apparently picks up where the last one left off plus a few months.  But I was able to pick up the storyline fine without reading the previous books.

The love of Jade's life is a pilot and an amateur film maker named Sam Featherstone.  He had left 4 months prior to go back to the States and try to sell his film footage of Africa and his idea for a movie.  Jade apparently spent the time in France visiting old battlefields and friends from during the war.  While there she had a momentary vision of her dead fiancee, David, who was a casualty of the war and had died in her arms.  The story picks up with her staying at Lord and Lady Dunbury's when she receives a letter with her deceased fiancee's clipped obituary notice and the words "Why did you let me die?" written in David's handwriting.

That evening after she seeks some solitude she witnesses a car pushed off a bridge by another car and she finds the man inside the partially sunk vehicle dead.  This sets up two separate plots moving simultaneously as Jade continues to get packages etc from the deceased David and there are strange "accidents" happening in the surrounding area that hint at a murderer loose who is leveraging a voracious crocodile to dispose of the bodies of investors in a gold mine. Can it be David's mother who despises Jade and blames her for her son's death who is behind the letters?  But what about those visions of David she seems to be having?  Then there is the suspicious deaths.  What a time for Sam to be in the States chasing his dream!

From his hidden vantage point, the man watched the young American woman called Simba Jike.  The name fit not only because she moved with the unconscious fluidity and grace of a lioness but because she held herself with a lion's assurance as well.  Only once had he ever seen her truly vulnerable, the day she stood in the deluge of rain at the train depot, watching the American leave her behind.  He'd watched, too, recognizing that his opportunity had come.

A slight sound escaped his lips, half-sigh, half groan, born of desire and sorrow.

He'd heard about her and her exploits before he'd ever met her.  All the colony talked about her unconventional behavior and attire, and she might have been sunned by Nairobi society but for the approval she'd received from old Lord Colridge and Lord and Lady Dunbury.

Simba Jike in her dusty tan trousers, scuffed boots, khaki shirt, and that worn-out old slouch ranch hat seemed to embody Africa more than the British women in their Paris frocks and flowered straw hats.  He'd also heard of her from his lover, who told a different tale.  No grudging admiration there, and that was the source of his sorrow.

He could almost feel the strength radiating out of this American, see the pent-up passion.  It smoldered inside here, flaring and flashing like green fire from eyes that could be as hard as emeralds or as soft as spring moss.  Eyes that inspired desire...

When he first met this Jade del Cameron he'd expected most of the stories to be exaggerations, embellished tales told by needy people longing to draw everyone's attention.  Instead, he found the tales fell short of the reality, and he'd come to admire her.

That made his job all the more difficult.

He'd been ordered to break her.

I plunged into this book and found it a great read.  The descriptions of Africa on the brink of becoming populated and no longer untouched are expertly portrayed.  The plot is solid and, I thought, believable with some nice twists.  The characters are perhaps the best part of the book.  Jade is brought to life to the extent you expect to find the articles in some archive that she has written for her magazine.  Jade is flawed just enough that you become her cheering squad without even realizing it.  I have seen Jade compared to a female Indiana Jones, but I can also see her as a female version of Allan Quartermain. The other characters are just as vivid to make the whole a finely woven tapestry. The indigenous people are realistically and carefully drawn which I found refreshing.  You get a sense for the undercurrent of tension between the original inhabitants and the British colonial rule which does play its own role in this tale.

The mystery is revealed over time as the story unfolds and just when you think there are no real surprises - BAM you get a twist that got you good.  The reveal and climax are nicely intense and get your full attention. If you want to be swept away and enjoy pure escapism, this book will do the trick.  I am now craving to read the five that came before this one. If you enjoy historical mysteries or a strong layered heroine, then I think you will enjoy this book as much as I did. 




Nairobi in the novel grows up to be a metropolis as you will see in this video.  In this story, read about it in its youth when it was less commercial and more the home of the animals and the adventurous explorer.

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Crime and Punishment Museum

I am on business travel yet again.  Fortunately I actually got to do the tourist thing for a few hours one day.  So what to do in those precious hours.  Naturally I picked the Crime and Punishment Museum in Washington D.C. and want to share the experience with all of you.   Enjoy this write up and if you have visited this museum, please share what your favorite part was.

You know this will be a different experience when the traffic ropes are handcuff chains.  Immediately inside there is the VW bug that belonged to Ted Bundy which he used in several of his murders. Yes, the actual vehicle - it was creepy to say the least.  A mock murder and crime scene are presented in one display that in conjuction with the $5 pamplet allow you to you move through several subsequent displays learning how the evidence is collected and processed to solve the crime.

It is laid out somewhat chronologically so you start with Medieval times, through marine crime and pirates - includes two women pirates (Anne Bonny and Mary Read), colonialism, the frontier and wild west, then the mobster 20's and 30's (Chicago and NY primarily), prison gangs and history of the Crips/Bloods and Nortenos and Surenos, gang tattoo display and finally computer hackers and identity thieves, including Frank Abagnale (check counterfeiter made into the movie Catch Me If You Can).  Bonnie and Clyde display and even a "Tommy" Gun display.  I liked the "Untouchables"display and facts about Elliot Ness.

There is a brief review of punishment methods in centuries past including some unusual implements of pain.  If you're squeamish, skip on through the medieval part without the reading because that is rather gruesome with the torture explainations.    The wild west and the frontier section was a favorite- you see all the big names: Billy the Kid, Butch and Sundance, Wyatt Earp. I tended to like this area more than I expected.

There is a display of different apparatuses used for carrying out the death penalty, from a gas chamber to an electric chair which is good for a writer to get a feel for these without having to witness them actually being used.  There is a police line-up demonstration and a police booking room where you can get fingerprinted. They have a CSI interactive room that completes the murder you started to solve but I confess I didn't get much time in this room with the crowd.

Here are a few details of the many displays are in the various sections: salem witch trials, famous bank robbers, famous serial killers, a full-scale prison cell (complete with hole in the wall for your daring escape), a replica of Al Capone's jail cell (photo to the right - which compared to a regular cell was plush), the Bonnie and Clyde car used in the movie, a mock safe that you try to crack the lock before time runs out, an actual electric chair and gas chamber complete with sound effects, the actual studio set from America's Most Wanted (in the basement - with a greenscreen setup where you can be one of AMW's "most wanted."), some interactive sets for police officer training (interactive high speed chase,  and police shooting with lazer bullets using a real Glock, ride in the cop car, ride the motorcycle, listen to interview clips, demo a lie detector) and a tribute to our fallen heros.

There are artifacts galore like Ted Bundy's court documents, tiles from Al Capone's bathroom, John Dillinger's death mask, even artwork from killers (art work by John Wayne Gacy and a birthday card sent from prison by none other than David Berkowitz-Son Of Sam). 

Give yourself enough time (2-3 hours) and remember you can't buy a meal there - but next door at District Chophouse is where I ate and it was busy but a good meal.  Tickets are $19.95 but you can save $2 by purchasing the tickets online.  There is a LOT of reading involved in this museum.  Take the metro if you can (Chinatown stop) because it is only a half block away.  Try to plan out which exhibits you really want to spend time on and which ones (if any) you'd rather just gloss over because you may get tired and rush through last bits that you may have wanted to see. 

The down sides are 1) a definite lack of "rest" benches and there are 2) several typos in the display texts.  Warning on taking young children - consider the level of maturity of your child and the sometimes graphic nature of the display topics (do you want your child seeing a gas chamber or an actual electric chair?)    The gift shop is not very extensive , but does have a few NCIS sweatshirts and hats and novelty items.  It has a lot of information if you are up for it.

Overall I enjoyed it, but if you are on a budget it could be pricey, particularly with a family.  I also went to the International Spy Museum, but that is for a later posting! 


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Review - Royal Blood

We are on a count down to the Blog Anniversary celebration - 27 days to go!  In just 27 days we will have the highly anticipated Blog Anniversary Bash with giveaways.  As the excitement builds I have the latest "Royal Spyness" Mystery review right here!

Author: Rhys Bowen

Copyright:  September, 2010 (Berkley Hardcover) 320 pgs

Series: # 4 in Royal Spyness Mysteries
 
Sensuality: Some innuendo
 
Mystery sub-genre: Historical Cozy/Amateur Sleuth
 
Main Character: 22 year old Lady Georgiana Rannoch, thirty-fourth in line to the throne of England
 
Setting: 1932 England and Bran Castle, Transylvania
 
Obtained book through: Publisher for an honest review

Lady Georgiana is in a tough spot.  She is of royal blood, but the family is broke.  She can't get a job because that just doesn't look right - it would be scandalous!  So she scraps by on meager food supplies - until the Queen asks her to represent the throne at a royal wedding in Romania.  The good news - she will get regular meals again.  There are a few catches though.  She must take her maid, which means she must find one on short notice who is willing to travel and hope she can pay her upon return.  Of course she no longer has the wide selection of gowns like she used to,but she will make due.  Then there is the small matter of the wedding being in Transylvania...in an isolated castle. 

Georgiana manages to find a maid - Queenie Hepplewhite is a total incompetent and a clumsy walking disaster (who set her last employers dress on fire...while she was wearing it), but at least she has a maid.  Transylvania can't be all that bad, can it?  Upon arriving she suspects she has been set up since the prince she turned down for marriage is staying in the bedroom next to hers.  Could things get any worse?  Georgiana is usually very level headed but finds that she is willing to believe in vampires when she spies a man climbing the sheer castle walls at night and wakes her first night to a pale man creeping to her bed and leaning over her!  Then the wedding guests are snow bound from bad weather and a politically important guest keels over from poison at dinner.

The characters are spot on for this historical cozy.   Georgiana is a sheltered lesser royal who is trying to make it in the world and not marry for position without love.  She has her share of hard knocks with an occasional bone tossed her way, which has given her a heart for the common person.  Her innocence is becoming on her while she has the hutzpah to face life on her own terms making a charming character.  Her on-again-off-again romantic interest Darcy is a rascal and the reader quickly suspects he is far more than meets the eye (perhaps a government operative?)  Her best friend is a risque hoot.  The disastrous maid Queenie is worth her considerable weight in laughs.  Even the minor characters will live on in my memory as great portraits of British peoples.

A hunk of bread was dumped onto the plate and then I moved on to one of the great pots full of stew.  I could see pieces of meat and carrot floating in a rich brown gravy.  I watched the ladle come up and over my plate, then it froze there, in midair.

I looked up in annoyance and found myself staring into Darcy O'Mara's alarming  eyes...

"Georgie!"  He could not have sounded more shocked if I'd been standing there with no clothes on.  Actually, knowing Darcy, he might have enjoyed seeing me standing in Victoria Station naked.

I felt myself going beet red and tried to be breezy.  "What ho, Darcy.  Long time no see."

Georgie, what were you thinking of?"  He snatched the plate away from me as if it were red-hot.

"It's not how it looks, Darcy."  I attempted  a laugh that didn't come off well.  "I came down here to see if I could help out at the soup kitchen and one of the men in line thought I was coming for food and insisted I take his place.  He was being so kind I didn't like to disillusion him."

The plot is well thought out and wonderfully written, keeping the reader flipping pages. It isn't too lighthearted, maintaining a fine balance of plot and pacing with a good dash of suspense.  I dove in a rarely come up for air!  The setting could have become cliche but Miss Bowen excelled even there.  The gothic setting was played just right.  This is why Miss Bowen wins awards.

The climax and wrap up were nicely played out and felt right.  The only problem being that I didn't want to leave this wonderful world I had been introduced to.

Royal Blood is like a fine wine, expertly crafted and full bodied with layers and rich notes that brings a sigh of satisfaction. I found this book a delight.  It is well plotted and deftly written with humor lurking at every corner.

Bran Castle is marketed as THE Dracula castle that Bram Stoker utilized in his classic book.  Although there is no evidence to that effect.  The castle in Royal Blood was indeed used as a royal residence in the 1920s when this book takes place.

This photo shows the sheer walls that Lady Georgiana witnesses a man climbing in the dark of night.





Here is a nice video showing the interior and giving the flavor of the setting for the book - just in case you want to book those travel plans.









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