Wednesday, May 08, 2024
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Nevermore: My Name is Red, Himself: A Novel, The Covenant of Water
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: FEUD'S END
Short Story Wednesday Review: Hoods, Hot Rods, and Hellcats Editor Chad Eagleton
Been a really bad three weeks here,
physically and mentally, so I am dipping into the massive archive yet again…
The title of Hoods, Hot Rods, and Hellcats says it all even before you get to the cover tag line of Drive Fast. Kill Young. Love A Pretty Girl. This anthology edited by Chad Eagleton certainly delivers on that premise. The image of the 50's depicted in Happy Days, American Graffiti, and others is quickly shattered by the introduction by Mick Farren. It sets a tone that is held up quite well by the eight authors involved in the book.
Coming up first is Christoper Grant with “1958: Somewhere In Texas” where three young lesbians are on a robbery and killing spree. Shifting in time back and forth across several months it becomes clear how things began and escalated quickly.
“Red Hot” by Thomas Puck follows next with a tale of Bobby, Karen, and the love of fast cars and beautiful woman. Both are equally dangerous and like a lot of other things can end up being expensive in so many ways.
Don Bayliss likes to steal things. It is a passion for him. 17 year old Sharon has ignited another passion in “Forlorn Hope” by Matthew Funk. Having seen combat he is looking for something. He isn't the only one looking.
Brothers Charlie and Butch rob places in “Only The Vultures
Will See Me Hang” by Nik Korpon. Both served and saw combat and get along well
enough most of the time. Then, there are the other times when plans don't go so
well just like what often happened in combat.
A guitar is the supreme goal for John. Growing up in a Christian household he should have known not to steal it. But, he did and then things got rough in “Lola” by Eric Beetner.
Editor Chad Eagleton comes next with his tale “Blue Jeans And A Boy's shirt. “ A fast car, a sawed off shotgun, and a girl walking on a bridge change the future for Lonnie Bonner. Like other stories in the anthology, combat flashbacks play a major role in this tale. Combat that though it happened in the past still fuels the actions of Lonnie now as well as many others in these tales.
“Scarred Angel” by Heath Lowrance comes next with a tale
where a beautiful hellcat is the one driving the action. Unlike most of the
preceding stories where the guys are running things (or at least appear to be)
in this case a woman dubbed “Frankie Scar” is definitely running the show.
Scotty knew she was something when he saw her at “Jimmy Bo's.” Thanks to his
buddies he finally went and said hello. Thanks to her he soon was on a wild
ride he would be lucky to survive.
“Headless Hoggy Style” by David James Keaton is the final and possibly the most disturbing story of the anthology. Jake is never sure what Cherry is thinking. He plans on getting her to talk and Uncle Jake might be able to help. He also has some things to do as does his Uncle in this dark tale.
The book closes with an acknowledgments section detailing
the contributions of those who kept the project alive followed by detailed bios
of the contributor's.
Reviewing a collection or an anthology is tough as one does
not want to give away too much and ruin the stories. This was certainly the
case here with these very complicated tales. They are violence filled short
stories peopled by characters that usually do what they want when they want to
do it. Adult language, adult situations, and more fill the pages of this
anthology that proves the point made in the introduction. There was a very dark
and very violent side to the 50's and Hoods, Hot Rods and Hellcats
gives you a small glimpse of that along with some solidly good stories.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3wftIuh
E-book was provided by the editor in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014, 2024
Tuesday, May 07, 2024
Mystery Fanfare: AFTER THE FLOOD: British TV series on Britbox
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen
Review: A Lonesome Place for Dying: A Novel by Nolan Chase
A Lonesome Place for Dying: A Novel by Nolan Chase takes the reader to Blaine, Washington, in
this very good police procedural. Veteran Ethan Brand has been through some
things. He came home, got off the drugs, got on the local police force, and is
now 42 years old. He is also now the new chief of police for the town of just
over six thousand. The Canadian Border is just north of town with Bellingham,
and 90 miles away, Seattle, to the south.
It is April and so the tourists have yet to descend in mass.
Things should be somewhat easy on his first day in the new job as he has been
on the force for a number of years now and pretty much knows everybody. It also
helps he grew up there.
There have been some strange things happening at his house.
There is also the stress of being the new boss. Especially when Officer Brenda Lee
Paige was skipped over by the former chief, Frank Keogh, when he recommended to
the council they appoint, Ethan Brand. Frank’s son, Mal Keogh, also still works
in the department and is clearly not ready to recognize Brand as his boss. Frank
has also left him the pollical problem as to what to do Officer Cliff Mooney.
He is trying to smooth things over with Brenda Lee, at least
a little bit, when Officer Ruiz calls in over the radio and requests assistance
out at MO’s Scrapyard on the southeast side of the town. There is a body about
a mile and a quarter from the scrapyard. Officer Ruiz was out at the yard on
the vandalism call. The owner had thought it was kids and that they were still
around on the nearby train tracks. They went looking to see if they could find
the kids, or evidence tied into them, and found the body instead.
The deceased woman appears to be in her late twenties. It
appears she was stabbed twice in her right side. It was raining until just
after midnight and her clothing is dry. There is also no sign of anything
around the body. Brand is left to wonder if she, somehow, came off of the train
as it rolled by on the tracks a few feet away, or some other way.
What follows is a complicated police procedural that
features a lot of world building. Rich and full small town characters including
Brand, and a complicated mystery, are all at work here in A Lonesome
Place for Dying. It takes familiar tropes, such as the veteran wounded
and back home trying to stay sober, and turns them in new ways that reveal
depth and nuance of characters. Those side excursions into backstory don’t slow
the forward motion of the tale. Instead, they enhance the read.
Everything combines incredibly well together to create a
mighty good read. One that hopefully is the start of a series. A Lonesome
Place for Dying: A Novel by Nolan Chase is absolutely strongly
recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Unsdlx
My reading copy was a digital ARC from the publisher,
Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley and was provided with no expectation of a
review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2024
Monday, May 06, 2024
Little Big Crimes: The Mysterious Woman in the Lifeguard Chair, by Bruce W. Most
Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Other Plans by Caimh McDonnell
I read Other
Plans (McFori Ink, 2023) by Caimh
McDonnell last year and added it to my favorite books of the year list (https://happinessisabook.com/best-reads-of-2023/).
What with one thing and another, and another and another, I did not get around
to writing about it. Having quelled a few of the alligators gnawing on my
ankles, I had a bit of breathing room last weekend and re-read this fourth book
about former Garda Bunny McGarry’s adventures in the United States. His life in
Ireland is chronicled in the intriguingly named Dublin Trilogy
which consists so far of 7 books, a novella, and several short stories.
McGarry has
come to the United States in search of a former girlfriend. He has determined
that Sister Bernadette of the Sisters of the Saint has information about her
location. Unfortunately Sister Bernadette and Sister Assumpta have been
kidnapped and are being held for ransom. The required payment is Carlos Breida,
a tall neurodivergent young man whose simplicity of manner conceals a brilliant
mind that holds information important to multiple criminal organizations. So
with an admirable single-mindedness, McGarry enlists two of his friends in
breaking Carlos out of a high-security prison and driving him to a delivery
point for exchange with the two sisters.
All of this
activity takes place in earlier books, creating many questions. Like, how did
McGarry learn of all this? Why was
Carlos in prison? Why were the sisters kidnapped? And which saint are they the
sisters of? (Once you know more about the sisters, you will have the same
question.) While normally reading books out of sequence does not pose much of
an issue for me, as I pick up enough of the back story to fill in the important
missing pieces, I cannot recommend that approach for this series. McGarry leads
such an event-filled life that reading the books in order and taking careful
notes seems to be called for.
Anyway, the
book opens with McGarry and his friends taking evasive maneuvers to avoid the
recapture of Carlos by the Ratenda Cartel, who objected fervently to his
removal from the prison. They are in Oregon in a desolate area and make a short
pit stop at a small bar. They quickly learn that the Huntsman’s Lodge is the
headquarters of a white supremacist faction and motorcycle gang, where
strangers are definitely not welcome. Moreover, the heretofore inconsequential
group is about to hit the big time, as they have taken delivery of a large arms
shipment they expect to hand off the day after our hapless crew wanders into
their lair.
Tensions are
high, IQs are at an all-time low, and common sense is conspicuous by its
absence. The resulting mayhem is amazingly violent, screamingly funny, and
colorfully narrated, which pretty much sums up the rest of the book. I found it
just as hilarious on the second read as I did on the first.
McDonnell has
a strikingly original mind. If he had been around in the 1970s, I would assume
that he had experimented liberally with pharmaceuticals but I see that he is
too young for that freewheeling time. Whatever its genesis, his startling creativity
results in inventive characters and unexpected action-filled scenarios that
would film well. He has a razor-keen sense of comedic timing and his writing is
crisp and flowing. I sincerely hope he is hard at work on another installment
of McGarry Stateside, as I am eager to know what happens next.
The most
entertaining book I have read in months. I loved it. Highly recommended.
·
Publisher: McFori Ink (October 13,
2023)
·
Language: English
·
Paperback: 328 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1912897512
·
ISBN-13: 978-1912897513
Amazon
Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3wp7INt
Aubrey Nye
Hamilton ©2024
Aubrey
Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and
reads mysteries at night.
Sunday, May 05, 2024
A Request from Otto Penzler of The Mysterious Bookshop
I received the below Friday and thought I would share here. If you have any questions, please reach out to him at ottopenzler AT mysteriousbookshop.com
Hi Kevin,
For the past 28 years, I’ve been the series editor of what is certainly the most prestigious mystery anthology of the year, for the first 23 years with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for the past four with the Mysterious Press. Because your site is devoted to mystery short stories, I have to think you’re aware of these books.
Michele Slung has been the first reader for every edition and, strangely, neither she nor I knew about your important site until a few days ago but are delighted that we have found you.
I don’t know if you do this sort of thing but I’d like to ask if you could announce to your members that we would welcome submissions, whether from magazines, collections, or anthologies. We are aware of the major magazines in the field and receive their comp copies with regularity, and receive books published by the major publishers, but we try hard not to ignore smaller publishers or e-zines.
Would you consider recommending to your readers and publishers that they should submit work to me? Only hard copies, please. My mailing address is Otto Penzler, The Mysterious Bookshop, 58 Warren Street, New York, N.Y. 10007.
FYI, I pay a reprint fee of $500 for every story (20 a year).
Thank you. Of course, please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincere best wishes, Otto
Bitter Tea and Mystery: The Jane Austen Book Club: Karen Joy Taylor
Sample Sunday: Excerpt: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO…? in Notorious in North Texas: Metroplex Mysteries III
For this first Sunday of May 2024, I thought I would offer you a small excerpt from my story, Whatever Happened To….?, as seen in the recently released anthology, Notorious in North Texas: Metroplex Mysteries III. Published by the Sisters in Crime North Dallas chapter, edited by Michael Bracken, the book has 12 stories. My story is set in my part of NE Dallas and is current, though the past is never far away, everywhere I look.
WHATEVER
HAPPENED TO…? by Kevin R. Tipple
It all began with a power outage.
It was a Saturday afternoon, and the Texas heat was
not quitting. Once one gets past the State Fair of Texas over in Fair Park, one
can count on the heat dialing it way back. Not this year. It wasn’t backing off
much at all and power outages were a constant worry. It had gone out just after
two and the old family home had heated up quickly.
I finally gave up, grabbed my keys, the not-so-cold
bottle of water I had been drinking, and my library copy of the latest Craig
Johnson novel, and headed out. My initial plan was to hit the closest fast-food
joint, but just maybe, the nearby library still had power and would probably be
quieter.
There was an anxious moment as the starter ground on
my late wife’s car., a baby blue PT Cruiser. It had seen quite a few miles when
she was commuting back and forth to TWU and chasing her degree in Education and
her teaching certificate. Finally, the old car came to life with a roar. I had
not driven it in several days and the rough idle made that clear.
I took the long way to Lochwood Library, working my
way through my aging NE Dallas neighborhood past the homes of high school
classmates who had long ago left the neighborhood. After a few minutes, I hit
Jupiter Road, turned south, and kept an eye out for red-light runners and other
traveling idiots. Saturday afternoon was not my preferred time to go anywhere……
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3ydE1iL
Kevin R. Tipple ©2024
In addition to having been the multiple term president of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, Kevin R. Tipple’s short fiction has appeared in numerous places online and in magazines such as LynxEye, Starblade, Show and Tell, The Writer's Post Journal, Mystery Magazine, and others. His short stories have appeared in the anthologies, Back Road Bobby and His Friends, Crimeucopia-Strictly Off The Record, and Crimeucopia-Say It Again. His award winning blog of reviews, guest posts, and more is at: https://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
Saturday, May 04, 2024
SleuthSayers: "Damn, I've Struck Oil!" Tom Gushed Crudely
Scott's Take: Children of the Vault by Deniz Camp
Children of
the Vault by Deniz Camp, Illustrator Lucas Maresca, explores some of
the aftermath of the Fall of X. Without a majority of the X-Men
around to maintain the dream prison holding the Children of The Vault (a group
of superhuman conquerors who live in a place that time moves at a rate faster
than Earth), they are free to conqueror the planet. Since a majority of
telepaths were mutants, humanity is now vulnerable to a thought virus. The
Children unleash an idea virus that spreads person to person which will kill 99
percent of humans while also converting the few survivors into new Children.
They will win a war that most humans won’t even realize has begun.
Luckly there
are two X-Men left who have a plan to stop them. Cable and Bishop. This is a
buddy cop tale featuring the two X-Men from dystopian futures. They could not
have more in common. They are both mutant soldiers who are determined to do
whatever it takes to complete their mission. They do not have lines they won’t
cross. They are not heroes. They are soldiers. They could not hate each other
more. They have a lot of bad blood and
history between them. There was a whole thing that Bishop tried to murder Cable
and a little girl he was protecting so they committed horrible crimes against
each other. For example, Bishop would nuke a whole continent full of people to
kill Cable while Cable would start a cult to murder Bishop. That kind of thing causes issues between
them. That’s just one of their problems with each other.
This is action
miniseries where the buddy cops are insulting each other with shots about their
history. There is plenty of action. The villains are interesting if not
explored fully because this is only a four-issue series. The art is cool and
depicts things well whether it is combat on the astral plane or being a man
with his own hammer or deploying a black hole gun. This is a fun miniseries and
a good way to learn more about Cable and Bishop. Two complicated mutant
soldiers that have a lot of blood on their hands.
Amazon Associate
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4atwxpI
My reading copy
came by way of the Hoopla App and the Dallas Public Library System.
Scott A. Tipple ©2024
Friday, May 03, 2024
A Writer's Life....Caroline Clemmons: A HILL COUNTRY TREAT
SleuthSayers: We are all apprentices
Jerry's House of Everything: FORGOTTEN BOOK : ...AND OTHERS SHALL BE BORN
FFB Review: Apocalypse Soon (Kyler Knightly and Damon Cole Volume 2) by Garnett Elliot
Timelines are
tricky things as readers were reminded in Carnosaur Weekend.
Agents Kyler Knightly and Damon Cole are back in Apocalypse Soon.
The work of protecting the timelines by Continuity Inc. is ongoing, difficult, and relies on everyone sharing the
same common goal and following the rules.
In the signature
story of this second volume of the series one Continuity Inc. technician by the
name of Paul Dirac has gone rouge. His ongoing obsession with Pre-Apocalypse
North America and vintage cars was thought to be a quirk one expected from a
genius. The company shrink had perceived his obsessive interest as nothing to
be concerned about and cleared him to work. Proving the shrink wrong, Dirac has
gone rogue and jumped back in time to “Old Vegas” in the year 2035. He took a
lot of supplies with him which means he is not coming back. What he plans to do
there is unknown, but he can’t be allowed to do more damage than he has already
done simply by going back then. Kyler and Damo have to go after him as fast as
possible and bring him back alive. Easier said than done.
“Babylon Heist”
comes next where Kyler Knightly is sent back approximately 3000 years to
prevent a theft. Continuity Inc. got a tip that another time traveler had been
sent back to collect a priceless artifact for a collector in the 23rd century.
Kyler knows what they are after, but has no idea of the identity of the time
traveler. So, he is working undercover in the Babylonian underworld trying to
make contacts and gather information. 770 B.C. is a dangerous place and he has
no idea whom he can trust.
Billed as a “Bonus Story” the final tale “Strontium Dreams” has nothing to do with Kyler and Damon or Continuity Inc. for that matter. Time travel may or may not be involved. What is clear is that it is a future world and one so decimated that survival means doing anything you have to survive. Having the stamp of “genetic undesirable” on your forehead helps keep you away from the collectors looking to salvage organs for the wealthy and keeps the rest of you out of the taco meat sold by vendors in the Jetsam Flats. One does not want to become taco meat.
Like the past,
the future is not always pretty, and certainly not here in these short stories
written by Garnett Elliot. Whether it is Red Venus or Dragon
By The Bay, Scorched Noir, or his efforts in the Drifter
Detective Series, or the aforementioned Carnosaur Weekend,
a hint of hard edged noir prevails no matter the setting. It doesn’t matter if
one is vicariously on Venus fighting humans and alien life, running from
dinosaurs, or shooting it out to bring back the rogue employee, that dark
nourish edge of crime fiction is always there in the works of Garnett Elliot.
One could easily make the argument that these are primarily crime fiction tales
in a science fiction setting. Those works are also very good reads that tell
complex tales with plenty of action and adventure.
Apocalypse Soon is yet another example of Mr. Elliott’s steadily increasing body of work. If you have not read him yet you really should. The only question is where and when you wish to start.
Amazon Associate
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4d7WfCx
Material was supplied in paperback format by the publisher three months ago in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple
©2016, 2024
Thursday, May 02, 2024
Beneath the Stains of Time: The Silent Service (2024) by M.P.O. Books
Review: Northwoods: A Novel by Amy Pease
Northwoods: A Novel by Amy Pease
takes readers to a resort area on a lake in northern Wisconsin. When Eli North
is not on duty, he spends most of his time drunk. If not for his mom being Sheriff,
as well as the fact that the department is very short staffed and hardly has a
budget, he would not have a job as Deputy.
If not for the job, he would not have had
to go to Cabin Six to deal with a noise problem. Visitors to Beran’s Resort
expect peace and quiet. The folks that spend time there will call the law
quickly on others. Businesses in the local area are going under, for a variety
of reasons, so tourism dollars are important. All this means that somebody from
the short-staffed Sherman County Sheriff’s Department has to respond and should
do so quickly. On this night, that means Deputy Eli North.
He was drinking and floating in the lake
when reached by dispatch. It takes him some time to get dressed and get to the
cabin. It also means he is alone when he finds the body of a young boy in the
bottom of a boat tied to a dock outside of a cabin where the stereo had been
far too loud. The Sherif is soon on the scene and knows the boy.
Ben Sharpe is his name. He also isn’t
the only child in trouble at the lake.
What follows is a highly atmospheric and
enjoyable read. Eli North is barely hanging on, in a variety of ways, and the
case regarding the death of Ben and the search for another child, is both a
lifeline and a danger to him. Much is going on in Northwoods: A Novel
by Amy Pease.
This review barely skims the surface to
avoid spoilers. It is well worth your read. My hope is that this is the first
book of a series as I very much enjoyed it.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4b7tnbI
While Lesa Holstine has not
read/reviewed it, I am pretty sure I first learned of the book via a comment or
three about it on her weekly, What Are You Reading, blog posts. I get a lot of
book recommendations that way which is one of the major reasons why I have over 80 books from the Dallas
Public Library System here at the house.
My reading copy came from the Dallas
Public Library System via the OverDrive/Libby App. A wonderful thing that I can
pretty much work these days thanks to extensive tutoring by Scott.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2024
Wednesday, May 01, 2024
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: SMFS Official Announcement: 2024 Derringer Award Winners
SleuthSayers: Said in Seattle
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: Nearly Nero by Loren D. EstEstleman
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: THE OUTSIDE LEDGE: A CABLEGRAM MYSTERY
Short Story Wednesday Review: The Axeman Of Storyville (Edward Grainger's Cash Laramie And Gideon Miles Series) by Heath Lowrance
Been very hard days mentally and
physically the last two weeks, so I am blowing the dust off this novella review
in the massive archive and running it again today. Don’t hate me.
It is 1921 and former U.S. Marshall
Gideon Miles is far from the Wyoming Territory and his old job. Miles is 67 now
and these days he and his wife Violet run a jazz club in New Orleans. The
“VioMiles Club” opened on Royal Street just a few months ago and business is
good except for all the paperwork involved. Miles had quite a colorful career
before retiring in 1910 and had done himself and the job proud. But, that was
then and this is now and the paperwork hurts him more than anything the outlaws
ever did.
His frustration with the paperwork has
to be set aside when two ladies of the District show up to see him before the
club opens. Miles knows that means they are “soiled doves” and he has no want
or need of prostitutes in his club. But, that is most definitely not what is on
their minds. Miss Tilly and Celissa have come to ask Gideon to help in the wake
of the brutal murder of a prostitute. Eva-Lynn worked in Miss Tilly's brothel
and a man killed her last night before escaping the scene. Eva-Lynn is not the first
in recent weeks and months to be killed by a man wielding an axe. Because the
women have been prostitutes the local police have pretty much have done nothing
to catch the killer. Miss Tilly desperately wants Gideon Miles’ help as she has
nowhere else to turn if the former U.S. Marshal turns her down.
Turning her down is exactly what he does
as Gideon is well aware of his age and responsibilities. Married with a club to
run he simply does not do that kind of work anymore. However, other factors
soon come into play, and he begins the hunt for The Axeman Of Storyville.
Written by Heath Lowrance, this latest
in Edward Grainger's Cash Laramie And Gideon Miles Series is
another good one. Highly atmospheric with complex characters and plenty of
twists and turns, the novella is a fast and highly entertaining read. Whether
you are new to the series or not this read is a good one and highly
recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3QpAFiS
Material was purchased to read and
review using funds in my Amazon Associate account.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014, 2024
Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Mystery Fanfare: McDONALD & DODDS: Season 4
Monday, April 29, 2024
Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Flight Risk by Cherie Priest
Little Big Crimes: Coming Attractions, by Vinnie Hansen
Bitter Tea and Mystery: The Humans: Matt Haig
Aubrey's Nye Hamilton Reviews: The Witching Hour by Catriona McPherson
The sixteenth
book in the Dandy Gilver historical mystery series by Catriona McPherson is
scheduled for release in the UK on 2 May 2024 and in the US on 3 September
2024. I had the great good fortune to receive an advance copy of the story so I
don’t have to wait until September.
The series
began shortly after the end of World War I in 1922, with Dandy the epitome of a
bored housewife, and has progressed chronologically through the social and
economic upheaval of the interwar years. The Witching Hour (Hodder & Stoughton/Mobius) takes
place in spring of 1939, with a second war imminent, to the great fear of Dandy
whose two sons are now the right age to be called up.
Hugh Gilver’s
60th birthday was being observed with all the pomp it deserved. The
family and close friends were gathered for an enormous feast and the family
cook had done herself proud. Of especial interest to Dandy is the guest her
younger son had invited. To all appearances Dandy was to acquire a second
daughter-in-law. Dandy’s close friend Daisy Esslemont was there alone, her
husband Silas had pleaded a previous unbreakable engagement, and Daisy was
peeved about it. Silas has a long history of philandering and Daisy has
tolerated much from her sadly deficient husband.
In the night
the telephone unexpectedly rang. The police in a remote village are looking for
Daisy. Silas has been found dead, and they think Daisy has killed him. Dandy is
happy to advise them Daisy was sound asleep in Dandy’s guest bedroom. But on inquiry,
Dandy learns both Daisy and Dandy’s automobile are gone. She and Alec Osborne,
Dandy’s investigative partner, tear off to the village where Silas was found
and hope that Daisy is not there.
The village
turns out to be an odd little place with hints of otherworldliness and
witchcraft. No one is especially helpful but Dandy is desperate to clear Daisy
and Alec, who had his own reasons for disliking Silas, is up for the challenge.
I am once
again reminded that this series is not cozy, despite blurbs that say otherwise.
Inevitably there are serious underlying issues at play in each book, even if
perhaps the overall premise is lighthearted and improbable. The UK is facing
the advent of war once again, and this time Dandy knows she may lose her sons.
The memory of the earlier war is all too clear and her entire generation is
devastated at the thought of a repetition. Dandy also has the opportunity to
review her very fortunate marriage compared to that of her friend Daisy. While
Hugh is boring, he is also kind and would never humiliate her the way Silas mistreated
Daisy. The contrast emphasizes how little freedom women had then to improve
their circumstances. A bad marriage was something to be borne, not discarded.
The
resolution was entirely reasonable, considering the life that Silas led, but I
found the fact so many others suffered from his thoughtlessness deeply sad.
For fans of social
history the bits about proper dinner table and drawing room behavior are
fascinating. The conversation between Dandy and Hugh about their potential new
daughter-in-law reveal the conventions about appropriate marriages in the
landed gentry and just how much those conventions had changed.
A fine
addition to a solid historical series. Recommended.
·
Publisher: Mobius (September 3,
2024)
·
Language: English
·
Hardcover: 320 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1399720392
·
ISBN-13: 978-1399720397
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4dfrw6s
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2024
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works
on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.