Review - Fundraising the Dead

Here is the first review for the new year. I am looking forward to this year. I never would have guessed how 2010 would have unfolded. But I have some specific goals for this year that I am pursuing steadily. I trust your goals are attainable and you realize a dream or two in this year before us.

This week we are in Philadelphia for murder among historical antiquities and old wealthy families in a series debut. What better city than Philly for history and sleuthing?

Author: Sheila Connolly

Copyright: October 2010 (Berkley Books) 336 pgs

Series: 1st in Museum Mysteries

Sensuality: mild adult references

Mystery Sub-genre: Amateur Sleuth

Main Character:  Eleanor (Nell) Pratt, Fundraiser for The Society for the Preservation of Pennsylvania Antiques

Setting: Current day Philadelphia

Obtained Through: publisher for honest review

Nell loves her job.  To Nell she is doing her part to preserve our heritage.  Of course every job has its less desirable aspects and Nell is swept up into the political minefield when influential board member Marty Terwilliger informs Nell that her family's historical document collection that was donated has an important letter from George Washington missing. Marty is adamant that something be done immediately.  

Marty's timing couldn't be worse - only hours before an important gala fundraiser.  But Nell takes a few moments to discuss the situation with Alfred who is cataloging all the massive collections they have.  Alfred confides that he has noticed other important documents that appear to be missing.  All are items that would bring a high price from black market collectors.  By morning Alfred is found dead.  The police declare it an accident. 

Additionally, the Society's President, suave and charming Charles Worthington slow rolls addressing the missing documents.   These developments rile Marty Terwiller who was related to Alfred and believes it was murder... and connected to the missing documents.  Nell and Marty form an unlikely partnership and Marty drags her cousin, FBI Special Agent James Morrison into their plotting since stealing historical artifacts is the FBI's realm. 

Nell is a competent, intelligent, self-sufficient and yet vulnerable character.  She is your average woman in looks which makes her easy to identify with.  But she also has an element of hutzpa that we all desire in ourselves which makes her character perfect for a sleuthing series.  Marty is an assertive and influential woman who makes a good friend to Nell.  I hope this character continues in the next book because she is great as the likable but loud and pushy side kick (or is that instigator?)   Even Agent Morrison shines as a competent agent trying to crack the case while keeping Nell and Marty out of trouble.  Could Agent Morrison be a potential love interest down the road?

The plot was solid.  The only potential glitch was why a Board Member would seek out the fundraiser regarding a missing item rather than the collections director.  Marty says it is because she knew Nell would take it seriously.  Through most of the book the culprit is known but it is a matter of building up evidence and a case.  There was one twist at the end and Nell finds herself in real peril.  This story has enough of the real world without being dark or pessimistic.  The wrap up even had change for Nell's career that will make the next book eagerly awaited to see how she fairs.

This is a stellar debut novel and I expect this new series to rapidly garner a fan base - and deservedly so.  I had reviewed Ms. Connoly's latest Orchard Mystery that I enjoyed, but this new series has won me over!

And now for your Superbowl party, try these easy and different dips.

Margarita Dip
Serve with fresh fruit, Nilla wafers, pound cake, or angel food cake

Ingredients

    * 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
    * 1/3 cup frozen margarita mix, thawed
    * 2 tablespoons orange juice
    * 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
    * 1/4 cup whipped cream

Directions

   1. Use an electric mixer to beat the softened cream cheese, margarita mix, orange juice, and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Thoroughly fold whipped cream into mixture. Cover and chill 1 hour to blend flavors before serving.



Pepperoni Dip

Ingredients

    * 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
    * 8 ounces sour cream
    * 2 (8 ounce) packages sliced pepperoni, quartered
    * 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilies

You can use reduced fat (not fat free) versions of the cream cheese and sour cream and turkey pepperoni. 

Directions

   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
   2. In a baking dish, stir the cream cheese, sour cream, pepperoni, and green chiles together.
   3. Bake in the preheated oven until thoroughly heated, about 30 minutes.

Happy New Year and Some Paris thoughts

First I wish you all a happy, healthy and abundant new year.  Stay warm for those of you in cold climates - like me!  

FYI, It is J.R.R Tolkien's 119th birthday anniversary today.  The Tolkien Society requests that you honor him by raising a glass to the Professor.  Cheers to a man who made elves and hobbits household terms.

My trip to Paris was memorable and a dream come true.  One of those long standing resolutions finally realized, which attests to perseverance.  The city has tremendous history on every corner.  The 1920's saw a generation of writers, painters, musicians and composers that went to Paris to make their name.  Hemingway wrote his first novel, The Sun Also Rises, about Paris. 

We only made it to a few of Hemingway's hangouts.  We stayed in a studio apartment on the left bank in the heart of the historic Saint Germain des Près neighborhood right across for the Village Voice Bookshop .  I took special notice of the Ritz, Hemmingway's favorite hotel when in Paris and Lipp's restaurant where he would eat.  We strolled past the L'Hotel where Oscar Wilde died. 

The Rose line leading to the obelisk

The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, L'arc de Triumph, Champs Elysee, the Seine, Christmas day at the Notre Dame, Saint Sulpice (featured in the DaVinci Code), the Roudin Museum, The Egyptian Obelisk, Napoleon's tomb, Palaise Royal, Princess Diana's memorial and Montparnasse were all wonderful.  Sainte Chapelle was unfortunately closed and I was really looking forward to that.

We tried to see the Père Lachaise cemetery (most famous cemetery in the world) where notables such as Jim Morrison of The Doors, Richard Wright, Marcel Marceau, Isadora Duncan, Frédéric Chopin, Eugène Delacroix, Marcel Proust, Gertrude Stein and Oscar Wilde among many more important and historical people are buried - but it was closed due to snow. 

We even went to "the ultimate rock bar" (The Cantada II at 114 rue de Bagnolet) that serves a wide selection of Absinthe (alcohol made from Wormwood plant) that was featured in an Anthony Bourdain episode! That was a strange experience because of the decor.  But even in this punk/metal bar the wait staff was kind and explained the differences in the variety of Absinthe they carried.  The modern Absinthe is not made the same as the original controversial liquor.  It does have an "energy drink" effect to it along with the licorice flavor.  I hate licorice so I didn't taste it.

While England socializes in the Pubs, Parisians socialize in the cafes and we found many great ones.  Interestingly, the 2X2 tables are lined up next to each other and you are elbow to elbow with the folks at the next tables.  The old buildings are just small and cramped.  The food was truly fabulous.  I really have to say that we met many very kind people who helped out the confused Americans.  It is a very big city and there are crowds and no sense of personal space so I can see how some would interpret that as rude and pushy.  But we had a great overall experience.

I had this wild idea to find the French author(s) Claude Izner (pen name for two sisters) who write the popular "Victor Legris" mystery series.  Legris is a bookseller in late 19th-century Paris who is also an amateur detective.  Unfortunately all I could find out is that the sisters, Liliane Korb and Laurence Lefevre, are booksellers on the banks of the Seine, and they are experts on nineteenth-century Paris.  Well there are a lot of little kiosk type shops along the miles long Seine and many were closed for the holidays. I never did find the elusive sisters -  I guess I flunked as a sleuth,  but it was fun to try.

I also considered the Aimee Leduc Investigations author Cara Black but found out she doesn't actually live in Paris...but in San Francisco!  Foiled again.

In any case try out Claude Izner or Cara Black for some mysteries set in Paris and see what you think.  There are the Bruno Courreges investigations by Martin Walker that are set in rural France if you want to try breaking out of the British country mysteries.  I ran out of reading material and started the suspense novel The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry.  My review will be coming in a few weeks for that.

So, what resolutions did you see come true in 2010?

I want a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese?

Review - Mrs. Jeffries Speaks Her Mind

Well I am on vacation but I got more reading in than anticipated with flight delays so I am able to provide a book review while in Paris after all.  FYI, Paris is cold and has been mostly rainy while I've been here.  I hope all you dear readers are staying warm this holiday season.  Have some eggnog for me!

Author: Emily Brightwell

Copyright: June 2010 (Berkley Books) 304 pgs

Series: 27th in Mrs Jeffries Victorian Mystery

Sensuality: N/A

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Cozy

Main Character:  Mrs Jeffries, a policeman's widow is Inspector Witherspoon's Housekeeper

Setting: Victorian England

Obtained Through: publisher for honest review

I have not read any of the prior 26 books in this series but it brings the reader quickly into the flow without much fuss.  I liked the initial premise of this series.  Mrs Jeffries likes her kind and basically good employer even though he started on the police force without making himself shine - until Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the staff pitch in and work their networks and Inspector Witherspoon is solving the baffling cases without really understanding how he did it.  He has risen in rank to Inspector and has grown as a policeman as well.

This time a self-righteous and mean spirited wealthy woman is shot in her own garden during a storm while all the servant's are at the household cook's funeral.  There are plenty of suspects since Olive Kettering was even estranged from her brother and niece and all her servants despised her.  Ms Kettering had recently gotten very involved with the Society of the Humble Servant led by Reverend Samuel Richards which is a scam by all accounts.  But the last few months Ms Kettering swore she heard footsteps in the night and somebody was out to do her harm but nobody believed her.

This is a light and enjoyable read.  The emphasis is on the cozy, with the servants and their contributions to uncovering clues and motives being the core story.  These servants are a family and you are invited into their midst as they gladly jump into sleuthing on behalf of their employer Inspector Gerald Witherspoon.  You will grow fond of them and want to call them friends.  Each employee feels they are contributing to seeing justice truly done.  Mrs. Jeffries has a relationship where the inspector respects her and likes to unwind by sharing his cases in the evening with her, allowing her to subtly drop ideas and directions for him to dig or question.  This case brings danger perilously close to the household staff though.

I will gladly read another of this series when I want a lighter read.  The staff are the counterpoint to the evil in the world for they care about each other and their employer and want to see true justice done.  It is their delightful relationships that make the series special.  Mrs. Jeffries is the investigative mastermind putting all the pieces together.  The inspector comes across as a kind-hearted man who truly wants justice although he doesn't really have the stomach for looking at dead bodies.  The rest of the staff you will need to meet on your own.  There are newlyweds on staff who met working there and recently got married.  A new employee joins them as well and it will be interesting to see how she works into the mix.

The plot had some red herrings and a basic murder setup.  I figured out who the killer was and slowly worked out the how as the investigation turned up clues early on, so this is not a particularly difficult mystery.  I found the strength is in the characters and the magic they create.  If you enjoy a mystery where the recurring characters are old friends you want to visit, this is the book for you.  The sleuthing makes the characters interesting and fun.

Have a safe New Years celebration.

Interview - Sheila Connolly

I am still traveling so this will be the only post for this week.  I hope your holiday season is warm and joy filled, where ever you are.  We have Sheila Connolly joining us who writes the Orchard Mysteries and the new Museum Mysteries.  I recently reviewed A Killer Crop, the latest in her Orchard Mysteries here.

- Do you start your next mystery with the killer, the victim or a plot idea?
Yes.  Or none of the above.  In fact, I often start with the setting, or even a particular part of the setting.  One book came about because I was wandering through an orchard and found a ruined springhouse in the middle of it.  My first thought was, what a great place to put a body!  I ended up creating a whole book around that, starting with, why would there be a body in the springhouse?  Who was it?  How could you sneak a body in there without anyone noticing?


- Do you outline the plot or some variation of that (a little/a lot of detail, a strict 3 act structure etc) before sitting down and writing?
Once I have the basic idea, I usually let it stew in my head for a while.  When I'm ready to start writing the book, I sit down with a pad and pencil and write something between a general outline and a letter to myself, including questions I need to resolve.  I may never look at it again, and a lot of elements will change, but the process of laying it out the first time is important to me.

After that I kind of let things flow.  I keep a running outline, which lets me see how much time has elapsed in the story, which character has been absent for too long, and where I am in the page count in case I need to pick up the pace.


- What is your process for developing a character? Do you use pictures, a worksheet or just let the character(s) tell you about him/herself as you write?
For a couple of years I have been collecting old photos of what I call "interesting faces" and use them for inspiration for people from the past who sneak into my books.  The contemporary characters I let do the talking.  Very few of them are based on people I know (and I'm still waiting for the people who I did "borrow" to recognize themselves).


- How do you find time for writing, what works for you - and do you have anything special you do before writing, particular music or a special room/location that helps you get in the zone and write?

One of those things you don't know about before you're published is how much time you'll have to devote to various kinds of promotion.  That makes the writing time all the more precious.  I find my creative mind works best in the morning, so that's when I try to actually write.  The afternoon is for the business side, and when my mind really slows down, I read.

A few years ago we moved into a Victorian house.  When I first went through it with the realtor (at which point it was filled with the treasures of an elderly couple who could easily be called hoarders) I took one look at the landing over the stairs and said, that's where the desk goes.  I write at my father's old kneehole desk, with my grandmother's filing cabinet and my great-grandmother's Art Nouveau lamp.  I have a window overlooking our fairly quiet street, and all my current reference materials are within arm's reach.  There's a 3'x4' corkboard over the desk, with all sorts of odd pictures that either relate to the work in progress or that I find entertaining—plus the things I absolutely, positively can't lose in the piles on my desk.

- What is your work schedule like when you're writing and how long does it take you to write a book?
I write every day, including weekends.  I get up, throw on sweats, fill the coffee mug, and sit down in front of the laptop.  I take a short break for lunch and keep going until the words run out.  At night I turn into a couch potato.

I write quickly (and find myself apologizing to a lot of writer friends who seem to agonize over each and every word).  That's been true from the start, when I had no idea what was expected—I just did it.  I can complete a draft in two to three months.  Then I like to put it aside and gain some distance before I try to edit.  Sometimes there's only a week or two for that, but I have an editor I trust, thank goodness. (And if she's reading this, the book that's due in February is in good shape.  Really.)

- What in your background prepared you to write mystery novels?

I've been a real gypsy in my career: at various times I've been an academic art historian, an investment banker, a non-profit fundraiser, and a professional genealogist.  And I've managed to use all of those experiences in one way or another in my books, believe it or not.

I also started reading at an early age and have never stopped.  When my husband and I were first married, we started collecting mysteries (and this was in the Dark Ages before the Internet!).  We focused on mystery writers and tried to assemble full series by each of them.  If you're wondering, yes, I read them all.  As a result, I have a pretty full collection of classic mysteries.  But I realized a few years ago that I had a definite bias toward traditional mysteries or cozies—there were relatively few thrillers or suspense novels mixed in.  

I started out trying to write romantic suspense, but I don't think I was very good at it.  Things really clicked when I started writing cozies.

- How did you get your first break toward getting published?  Was it at a writer's conference or mailing a query letter etc?

The usual, slogging through endless query letters to various agents.  I landed one bad agent, but it took me a couple of years to realize he was useless.  I started all over again, but at least I think my writing had improved. 

I ended up with my current agency when one of my query letters to them (my third or fourth—did I mention I'm persistent?) came back minus the enclosure, or even a return address.  But I figured out who had sent it, and emailed asking for the response.  It was, predictably, a rejection, but the agent was so apologetic about the mistake that she asked if I'd be interested in "trying out" for a work-for-hire for Berkley Prime Crime.  I said yes, BPC loved it, and I was launched with the Glassblowing Mysteries, written under the pen name Sarah Atwell.

BPC must have liked what they saw, because even before the first book hit the shelves, I had signed to write the Orchard Mystery series, under my own name.  The next year they bought the Museum Mystery series.

So, short answer:  because somebody didn't seal an envelope, I've ended up with eight books published in under three years.

- What are you currently reading?

I read my friends' books, and I try to find time to read non-fiction and other things that sound interesting, whether or not they're related to my own books.  But I'm way behind on best-sellers, and the to-be-read piles are reaching frightening heights.

- What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

 
I keep odd talismans on my desk, like pieces chipped off tombstones (I spend a lot of time in cemeteries, for genealogy purposes), a pencil sharpener in the form of a cannon, from Valley Forge, and an elephant eraser based on Lucy, and an eraser modeled on Lucy, the Victorian elephant in Margate, New Jersey, that's big enough to walk through.  Mostly they're things that make me smile.

 - Do you participate in a critique group (or have you in the past?) What are the pros and cons of critique groups?
I have in the past.  I was part of a group put together through the Guppies, a Sisters in Crime on-line chapter, several years ago.  We kind of drifted apart after a year or two, but I'm still in touch with two of the members.  I learned a lot, reading the work of other people and getting their feedback.  I think that most writers are too close to their own work to be objective, and it's a good idea to test your writing on others—particularly those who are willing to be honest with you—before sending it out into the wider world.  The biggest problem I found was that I was usually writing more quickly than the others, so when they were commenting on Chapter 7, I was working on Chapter 15.  I think I would have preferred a group that read the whole book at once and could comment on pacing, character development, and the holes in the plot.  I've had some first readers since, but not consistently.
 

Thank you so much Sheila!  Great Interview!  I love Sheila's writing setup, it sounds wonderful.  I will be back with you in the new year.  Be safe and out there.

Guest Blog - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Sally Goldenbaum, author of the magical Seaside Knitters Mysteries shares her holiday with us.  Please give a warm welcome!!

When my publisher first suggested a holiday-themed mystery for the seaside knitters to tackle, I was hesitant. I guess because I love this time of year, and tying it to a murder didn’t seem quite right, somehow. But then I said to myself, “it’s a cozy mystery, not a gritty one, and it can have a lovely, feel-good ending--filled with the joy of the season.” And with that I freed myself to explore the things that I love about this time of year, whether in celebrating Hanukkah, or Christmas, or Kwanzaa--or simply a personal celebration of family. 

I know you each have your memories, too--the things that fill your homes and lives with something special that isn’t there the rest of the year. Or maybe memories of what your childhood holiday was like. Here are a few of mine--some memories in the past--and some memories that are still happening in my life. But all memories that I shared with the Seaside Knitters as they welcomed me (and you) to Sea Harbor at holiday time in A Holiday Yarn.

1.  The smell of the fraser fir tree as we carry it home from the corner lot (we still have a corner tree lot--isn’t that wonderful? With a fire at the edge of the lot to keep the scouts’ hands warm and chile waiting for them in the Church basement). 

2.  The decorating of our outside tree--one my children and I planted for their dad for father’s day one year a long, long time ago. The tree is enormous now, shadowing our house, and each year I climb a ladder with a bamboo pole and hook duct-taped to the end that my husband put together, nudging the lights up as far as I can reach. Sometimes I leave them on all year, a canopy of lights that we walk beneath before coming in the door. It’s comforting, somehow. And in Sea Harbor, the knitters walk beneath trees just like this, all along their neighborhood streets and up the long drive to the Ravenswood Bed & Breakfast.

3.  The skating rink my father and the neighborhood dads flooded each year in the empty lot next to our home. The Seaside Knitters have a rink in Sea  Harbor, too, with a warming hut on the side and hot chocolate waiting on the hot plate.

4.  Santa coming to our house, all dressed up, on Christmas Eve. In Sea Harbor he makes his joyful entrance with Mrs. Santa and all the elves on a lobster boat that chugs into the harbor,  cheered by throngs of snow-suited children with rosy cheeks and eyes as bright as the stars.

5.  The sleigh my mother and father put up on our mantle every holiday season. Ben and Nell have one exactly like it, and it sits atop their own mantle, surrounded by boughs of holly.

6.  I love holiday music--I could listen to it all day long. One of my favorites (onethat always leaves me a bit teary) is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”  

      The song is featured a couple times in A Holiday Yarn as Pete Halloran and his Fractured Fish band work up their own rendition. They’re singing it to all of you right now. Can you hear them? 

And I join them in sending these wishes to you:

                 

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas,

Let your heart be light

From now on,

our troubles will be out of sight.

...

Through the years

We all will be together,

If the Fates allow

Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.

And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.”

Peace to all of you.

Sally

Thank you Sally for sharing the season with us!!