India Black and the Widow of Windsor by Carol K. Carr

Review by Jerelyn (I-F-Letty)

I ask you what’s not to love.  I love finding new authors; such is the case with Carol K. Carr, creator of the India Black series.  I already loved the smart, savvy, sexy India Black from Ms. Carr’s first book, India Black.  I also love her characters, the handsome, hunky French and Vincent the odiferous street urchin.

I was looking forward to the second book in the series. Carol Carr writes the kind of books that I like to read.  If you can make me laugh aloud or cry then I am pretty much going to read what you write; having said that now on to India and her next adventure.

India Black and the Widow of Windsor

India and French are fencing, literally at the beginning of the book.  French is beginning to teach India the art of self defense; an exercise that India is not appreciative of.  She has her Webley .442 Bull Dog revolver in her handbag after all.  She and French are summoned to see ex-prime minister Disraeli. India’s view on Disraeli…He wore a silk dressing gown of crimson, soft slippers of scarlet leather tooled with his crest, and a scarlet Fez with a black silk tassel dangling over his ear.  A single ringlet corkscrewed out of the Fez over his forehead.  Lord if the man didn’t have style at least he had courage.  A spiritualist has told the Queen that her dearly departed husband Bertie wants her to spend Christmas at Balmoral, the house that Prince Albert built and the royal family has loved ever since.  Disraeli needs French to assess if there is a credible threat on the Queen’s life and discover who is at the bottom of it.  French volunteers India to help discover who is out to kill the Queen..

India out of London in the Scottish highlands is just what you expect; India’s irreverence for the upper classes makes for some seriously funny snark. India has gone undercover as a lady’s maid.

India on the Marchioness: “It was tempting to blame French for saddling me with this snuff dipping, narcoleptic, bibliophile.”

India Black on Bagpipes: “Sane people do not make musical instruments out of a sheep bladders and a bundle of reeds.  What prompts a bloke to pick up an internal organ from an ovis aries and squeeze it in the first place? The mind boggles.”

I love India’s saltiness, but one of the minor characters really stole the show. The Marchioness is a hoot. The Marchioness takes over as sparring partner for India. I had a pretty good idea by about half way through that they were chasing red herrings; and kind of thought I knew who they were looking for. But, the mystery is secondary in these books; the fun is in the hunt.

India is being groomed to be a valuable asset to the crown, whether she knows it or not. Vincent isn’t left behind he goes along as French’s groom. Really if you want a light read after a heavy book this is your book. You don’t even have to have read the first book, but you should. India explains how she and French met and about their previous adventure very well and very quickly; and mercifully only once. My only Beef with this books is there is not enough of French in this one.  Hints are dropped about French’s personal life, which only makes you want to know more.

Ms. Carr understands the political climate of the period and imparts the info without sounding like a text book. This book is what it is, a lighthearted, tongue in cheek, laugh out loud, fun read.

I e-chatted with Carol Carr for the PBS blog after writing this review I thought I would share with you a few things.  There will be a third book, slated for release in February 2012.  The title, for now at least is India Black and the Dark Legion”. “India and French penetrate a cell of foreign anarchists, India learns more about her mother and discovers a bit more about French, and has a run-in with another madam. 

I can hardly wait! Carol Carr will be in Houston to do a book signing at Murder by the Book on October 8, 2012.

On one of Ms. Carr’s blog post she talks about Nancy Wake. I am fascinated by the women who served in the OSS (the forerunner of the CIA) and the British Special Operations Executive in World War II.   Nancy Wake was the “most redoubtable” of SOE agents who operated in France, and she died this summer at 98.

Ms Carr shared with me that. Once I finish #3 and then plan to work on my OSS espionage novel.

Thanks to Ms. Carr for the mini interview.

The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek

Review by Cyn C. (Cyn-Sama)  

There are some books that I can read with only half of my mind turned on.  There are other books that engulf me entirely.  The world fades away until the only thing that exists is the world that the author has created.  The God Eaters, is one of those books.

It’s one of those books that I set aside time to read at least once a year, so I can sink into Jesse Hajicek’s post-apocolyptic, vaguely steam-punk world – and fall completely in love with his characters.

One of the main things that draws me to this story is the fact that the world is it’s very own character.  It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read, but has elements from other stories and mythos that I have loved.

That’s not to discount the male leads.  At it’s heart, the story is about two boys growing up, overcoming their fears and finding love.  It’s the details and how the boys get to their happy ending that make this story into something more than your average romance novel.

Ashleigh Trine has been imprisoned by the totalitarian Theocracy for his ‘inflammatory writings’.  Being shy, intellectual and bespectacled, he figures this is the end for him – until he meets Kieran, a gruff gunslinger with dark magic coursing through his veins.

Kieran wants nothing to do with Ashleigh, but Ashleigh manages to work his way under Kieran’s skin.  Then, they discover they are far stronger together than they are apart.

Throw in some displaced Gods, a prison escape, and certain death, with a good dollop of true love conquering all, and it’s no surprise that this book broke through my embittered, withered heart to become one of my all time favorites.

I keep hoping that Hajicek will write another book, so I can sink into his masterful world building again, but until then I have the story of Ashleigh and Kieran, and a world that inspires wonder.

And, that keeps me pretty happy.

Roles of the Northern Goddess by Hilda Ellis Davidson

Review by Jennifer (mywolfalways)

Through extensive research of both primary and secondary sources, Davidson explores the elusive and often misunderstood sacred feminine found in goddesses and female spirits from across northern Europe.  While the book’s main focus is on providing a view of the figures in the north, the author sometimes provides companion examples with figures in the Greco-Roman tradition to provide a better understanding of the aspects of those in the north.

“Mistress of the Animals” introduces the reader to the common archetype of the hunting goddess.  Appeals were often made to her before a hunt asking for her favor to acquire prey and to grant mercy to keep the hunter from becoming prey.  She could sometimes grant wealth and opportunity; however, she could just as often put them to their doom.  Also explored is the goddess’s special connection with more domestic animals, such as cows, horses, and dogs.

Presented within the pages of “Mistress of the Grain” is the link between female deities, crops, protection of the town, marriage, and bearing children.  Tradition tells of the appeals to these guardians by escorting the avatar of the goddess from one town to another or plowing a protective circle around the town.  The grain goddesses in particular appear to have the common theme of being triple goddess figures, that is three aspects of femininity making one whole.

“Mistress of Distaff and Loom” explores the common thread between goddess and weaving.  Spinning and weaving were vital in these areas due to the sometimes extreme low temperatures.  Such pride was taken in these skills that even head women of households  were known to take on these duties themselves. The patron goddesses of these skills were fickle and were said to tangle threads and dirty distaffs if displeased; however, they commonly granted favors.  The symbolic connection between thread and the events in human lives are also found here in the north.

“Mistress of the Household” provides information that some readers may be familiar with, such as goddesses being patrons of marriage, childbirth, and the raising of children.  Even though some were concerned with the entirety of the household, many were relegated to only certain areas, entrance and hearth being the most common.  It is also interesting to note that household Goddesses were often familial figures that were brought from the wife’s original household to that of her new husband’s.

The “Mistress of Life and Death” makes varied appearances in northern Europe from the welcoming presence of the valkyries to the terrifying visage of Hel. The curious contrast between the many funeral rites all over Europe are fascinating, especially when it comes to the duties of the women left behind.  In most cases, women were charged with cleaning the body while men prepared the pyre for burning or the grave for burial.  In some areas, especially Ireland, keening over the dead was a profession reserved especially for women, bringing to mind the screeching of the banshees in local folklore.

While this book would probably be more accurately titled with “goddesses”, goddess is much more provocative to most readers.  When reading, I sometimes felt that the writing meandered; however, presenting the amount of material Davidson provides can sometimes be  difficult to balance.  Some of the information, backed up by an extensive bibliography, runs counter to what many may have read and heard from new age sources.  I believe that this is a wonderful beginning for those new to the mythology of northern Europe or a great source to bring it all together for those who are already familiar.

Dear Old Love: Anonymous Notes to Former Crushes Sweethearts Husbands Wives Ones That Got Away compiled by Andy Selsberg

Review by McGuffyAnn M. (nightprose)

When Andy Selsberg got married, he reflected on commitment and old loves. He felt the need to reconcile past relationships, the joys and lessons of some and the pain or errors of others. He turned to the Internet and started this project as a website. It would be a place to leave messages to old or lost loves.

Being able to do so anonymously made it easy to say what may have otherwise been difficult or perhaps impossible. To be able to take a love story and condense it into one line is undeniably an art. This only adds to the importance and beauty of the message and of this book. There is quite a variety of messages and thoughts here. The final section of the book is a “fill-in” section, where you can actually create your own “Dear Old Love…” messages.

Quite often, it is the small book that has so much to say. This book is an excellent example as is says a lot very succinctly. Dear Old Love is for the ones who got away and the ones that were held onto, if only in our hearts. It honours them all by addressing them, “Dear Old Love”.

Keep It Quiet by Richard Hull

Review by Matt B.  (BuffaloSavage)

Released in 1935, this ingenious, unusual, and well written mystery will please readers who like an amusing whodunit, in a unique setting, and a modicum of suspense.

Set entirely within the confines of a London club, the characters are exclusively men, which will bring to mind the all male world (academe) of Michael Innes’ early Appleby stories.

Another curious point is that the detective is not an inspector from the Yard, but a member of the club who is simply nosey. Plus, Hull spends time describing the feelings and motivation of the criminal, which was one of his hallmarks.

Hull worked as full-time Chartered Accountant. Writing was in his moonlighting job, so his prose a little stiff. This is balanced by his unique approach to plotting and narrative and his quiet sense of humor.

The other attractive point is the participant observation of the mores and ethos of a mediocre club of the time.

This was reprinted by Dover Publications in the late 1980s, which also indicates the high quality of this mystery.

The Citadel of the Autarch by Gene Wolfe

Review by Bowden P (Trey) 

In the last volume of the Book of the New Sun, the campaign against the Accians is the focus of the story. A large part of it is spent in a Pelerine hospital, where Severian finds himself after the events of Sword of the Lictor. He’s hurt, he’s exhausted and literally wrung out after the climatic battle. There, he and his companion (picked up in the first chapters of the novel) are taken for a pair of wounded – Miles as a wounded and amnesiac soldier, Severian as a civil servant attached to the administration of the army. Miles, recovers more quickly than Severian, so Severian, so he is left in a tent with other soldiers suffering long term injuries.

While there, he’s asked to judge a story contest between the soldiers and one Accian prisoner, all for the hand of a female soldier. These little stories help showcase Wolfe’s talents as a writer. Despite his busyness and illness, he even manages to return the Claw to its proper home. Which is a minor miracle of itself given the skepticism of the Pelerines. After his recovery, and errand that takes him far away (Wolfe continues to play with time and space here) to the enigmatic Father Ash, Severian returns to a massacre and then truly goes to war.

So… is it good? Yes. Wolfe goes back to some of his earlier tricks with vocabulary of looting the and out of use for terms. Its refreshing to see and returns the earlier flavor of the series. We readers are also introduced to the fantastic – anpiels (angels in all but name), mastiff men and cat ladies. And with the last two, it seems Wolfe has some fun with their personal names as well. More importantly than the games Wolfe plays with language and history, he revisits Severian’s past for new spins on past events and characters of the novels. Specifically:

• The Autarch returns and he has laid plans for Severian.
• Wolfe begins to answer questions, closing plot holes and time loops.
• Chekhov’s guns introduced in the earlier volumes are fired with great enthusiasm.

Wolfe crafted Citadel of the Autarch with great skill. It has very well done plot, good characterization and some sense of wonder moments (with wonder’s dark twin of horror not far behind). As before, I love the little stories Wolfe weaves into the book. They’re recognizable confabulation of myth, history and fable, and readers may even be able to spot the origins. I was particularly taken with the tale of the Accian Prisoner, Loyal to the Group of Seventeen, because it was so unsettling – a nightmare fairy tale from 1984. Again, I maintain if Wolfe had gotten into writing children’s books with a good illustrator, he’d have given Geisel a run for his money.

The verdict: 5 stars.  As a close to the series, Citadel of the Autarch is worth it. What’s more, the title refers less to the Autarch’s incredible palace with its hidden inner citadel, but more to the very nature of the Autarch him/herself. I hope I’m not spoiling it with that, but read the book. Or if you have, please feel free to comment.

Likes: The closing of plot holes; The use of earlier Chekhov’s guns (totally worth it to get the collected SFBC edition and Michael Andre-Druissi’s Lexicon Urthus to help keep track of them all); The return to playing with discarded and old terms – but still having a good idea of what they mean; Revisiting characters and what they did; Closing plot holes and time loops – often at the same time; Sense of wonder and horror moments; The little stories braided in among the novel.

Dislikes: As before, I’m not sure how I feel about what Wolfe demands of his readers. Its not an easy or fast read. I have to take it a few chapters at a time. But the pay off has been worth it so far…

Suggested for: Gene Wolfe fans, those that like challenging books and science  fiction that verges onto literature.

Review by VickyJo

Working in a public library is never dull.  People come in all day long, looking for all kinds of information, or searching for the next great book to read.  Once, an elderly lady returned her books to me at the front desk, and then asked if I could recommend another book for her to read.  I asked what types of books she enjoyed.  She said, “I’d like a nice murder.  You know, nothing too bloody. Just…something nice.”  It’s a strange phrase, “nice murder.”  But what she wanted was a “cozy mystery.”

In the publishing world, a cozy mystery has specific guidelines.  It’s a murder mystery that features a bloodless crime, and has very little to no graphic violence, sex or language.  Quite often, the murder victim is someone the reader hardly knows, like the rich uncle or the reclusive neighbor, and thus isn’t someone we really miss.

The main character is very often an amateur sleuth, who gets involved and solves the crime for personal reasons.  The fun part about cozies is that the reader is encouraged to solve the crime first; the author gives clues to help the reader along, and all loose ends are always tied up by the end of the novel.

Agatha Christie wrote cozies, and her novels made the small English village a very popular cozy setting, but cozies take place anywhere.  They do tend to happen in small towns or settings, so that the pool of suspects is small and the murder can be solved.  You won’t usually find serial killers in a cozy.  Believe it or not, they are considered “feel good” stories; justice always prevails in the end, and the community is restored to peace and order.

The trend lately is to have a cozy series: a likeable character with a fun job who solves crime after crime in his or her small town.  Think Jessica Fletcher of Murder She Wrote.  Cabot Cove, Maine had a million murders, but intrepid, likeable mystery author Fletcher managed to solve them all (with a little help from her friends).

I’ve just finished reading a cozy series that I really enjoyed.  The author is Tim Myers, and he has written The Candle Making Series of mysteries, featuring Harrison Black.

The first book, “At Wick’s End“ introduces Harrison.  His great-aunt Belle has just died in a mysterious fall from a ladder, and she left her candle making shop to Harrison in her will.  Harrison decides to comply with Aunt Belle’s wishes and continue running the shop.  Once he arrives in the small town of Micah’s Ridge, he is surprised to discover that, not only does he own At Wick’s End, but he owns the converted, two-story warehouse that the shop is in, called River’s Edge.  There are several other shops, which make Harrison’s inheritance a bit more complicated than he originally thought.

Harrison also moves into Aunt Belle’s apartment above At Wick’s End, and is immediately suspicious when the apartment is broken into and searched.  Could his Aunt Belle’s death have been, not an accident, but murder?  Harrison decides he has no choice but to try and find out who would want to kill Aunt Belle—and why.

The second novel, “Snuffed Out” finds Harrison a little more settled in his shop.  He is getting used to retail selling and is finding that he has a real love and talent for making candles.  He is also becoming more comfortable in his role as landlord for the other shop owners at River’s Edge: Heather, who runs a New Age shop called The New Age; Millie, who runs a coffee/snack shop called The Crocked Pot, and several others.  So when the power goes out unexpectedly, Harrison is called upon to find the solution.  What he discovers is something else entirely: Aaron, who owns a pottery shop called The Pot Shot, is found dead at his pottery wheel, a frayed electrical cord and a spilled bucket of water telling the dismal tale of how he died.  Or does it?  Heather tells Harrison that Aaron hated electric wheels, and never used them to throw his pots.  He only had one for his students to use.

Harrison immediately becomes suspicious, but the local police seem content to accept Aaron’s death as accidental.  Besides, most of the admittedly small force in Micah’s Ridge is out with the flu.  So it looks like it’s up to Harrison to do some discreet investigating on his own.

In the meantime, Harrison does have a business to run.  He needs to find a new tenant for Aaron’s shop, and he thinks he’s found the perfect choice in Aaron’s ex-wife, Sanora, also a potter.  He gives her a two month lease, to see how things work out.  Little does he know that Sanora worked with Aaron before their divorce, and left about the same time some money mysteriously disappeared from another shop.  Needless to say, the other tenants of River’s Edge are not exactly thrilled to have Sanora back.  Heather, the owner of The New Age is especially put out; seems she and Aaron had been dating, but he dropped her when he thought he had a chance to reconcile with Sanora.  Harrison now finds himself between two women who both loved and lost the same man.  Could Sanora have killed Aaron out of jealousy?  Or, harder to believe, could Heather have killed him?  Harrison has become friends with Heather and doesn’t want to believe she could kill anyone.  But strange things keep happening around River’s Edge as Harrison gets closer and closer to solving Aaron’s murder.  And it doesn’t look good for Heather.

This second installment is another fun read.  If you’re looking for blood, chills, serial killers and nightmares, this series isn’t for you.  But if you want a quick, fun read with lots of atmosphere and candle making tips, try Tim Myers’ series.  He’s written four altogether; the third book is “Death Waxed Over” and the fourth is “A Flicker of Doubt.”  All four books are perfect for getting away for a few hours!