The Case of the Spurious Spinster by Erle Stanley Gardner

Review by Matt B. (BuffaloSavage)

The later Perry Mason novels are organized like the TV episodes featuring  the super-lawyer. That is, the action opens with what really happened, usually to a plucky working girl who’s just trying to do her best in a strange situation. The situation deteriorates ethically and legally to the point where the protagonist is driven to consult Perry Mason, who is intrigued by whatever kind of scam is afoot.

A demure secretary, Susan Fisher, suspects her boss of funny business when the boss’ young son comes up with a shoebox full of benjamins. Also, the owner of the company – the kind of blunt astute business woman Gardner respected – disappears along with accounting evidence that defalcations have been occurring.  Seeing herself in a vulnerable position, Susan consults Perry Mason.

So, the first chapter of Spurious Spinster is one of the longest set-ups in the Gardner canon of 80-some Perry Mason novels.  Usually I would feel impatient with this (I like a vic right away in a mystery), but Gardner, wielding narrative magic  in a story of embezzlement, kidnapping,  and impersonation, builds suspense by getting us veteran fans wondering when the heck the murder is coming off and who is going to be the vic. When Perry and Della finally come upon a gasoline-doused corpse, the tension is just about unbearable.  The trial sequence is thus delayed and seems a tad rushed. Though dour Lt. Tragg and Perry have some fine exchanges, DA Hamilton Burger does not get a chance to make an exasperated outburst.

Other exceptional scenes: Della uses her femininity to open up a crusty prospector and Paul flatly predicts, “The evidence points so unerringly and so damningly that there isn’t a ghost of a chance she’s innocent. And what’s more, I’m betting that within twenty-four hours Amelia Corning’s body will be discovered somewhere and you’ll find your client charged with another murder.” Boy, you’d think after 60-some novels (this was published in 1961), Paul would have as much faith in Perry as Della does.

As we fans do….

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Review by Brenna B. (demiducky25)

Not that long ago I wrote a blog post about Kate Morton’s The Secret Keeper and mentioned that I planned to read The Forgotten Garden since my mom read both books and thought that The Forgotten Garden was the better of the two books.  Although both books were wonderful, I did like The Secret Keeper better.  But that doesn’t take away from the wonderful story contained in The Forgotten Garden.  This is also an impressive and wonderful story that I readily recommend.

The stories of three women are weaved together across time and country borders.  Nell is a woman who learned that she was a foundling and spends her life isolating herself from the family she once was close to.  The only person who can get close to her is her granddaughter Cassandra, whose mother abandoned her to Nell’s care.  Nell tries to learn her true identity, but Cassandra has to take up the search when Nell is no longer able to.  The only clue either woman initially has to go by is a rare book of fairy tales that Nell had when she was found on an Australian dock in 1913.  The fairy tale book was written by a woman initially only referred to as The Authoress, an English woman with a mysterious background of her own and whose life story is somehow tied to Nell’s.  A hidden garden on an English estate also plays a pivotal role in all three women’s lives.

I think that’s all I can safely say without giving away anything important.  Morton really knows how to craft a wonderful story.  Each character’s story was engaging and wonderful to read, though there were a few parts where the story felt like it got repetitive or dragged a bit, a feeling I didn’t get with The Secret Keeper.  But those moments were few and far between.  Time jumps and character shifts occur with nearly every chapter, but Morton helps you safely travel between each thread of the story.  A few chapters are excerpts from the book of fairy tales Nell was found with and those stories allude to the lives of the other characters.  Also, anyone who has every read Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden will appreciate a number of parallels between this book and The Secret Garden, including a cameo appearance by Frances Hodgson Burnett at a garden party.

All in all this was a great read.  It’s the perfect book to start on a dreary, rainy afternoon and get lost in for hours at a time.

My rating- 4 out of 5 stars

Note: To read Brenna’s review of The Secret Keeper, click this LINK

Trial by Fury by Craig Rice

Review by Thomas F. (hardtack)

My copy of this book is a 1957 first edition paperback which includes the statement “Number 2 of the Dell Great Mystery Library” on the cover. This statement is well-earned as the story was engrossing and a hoot to boot. I forget where I read that Craig Rice wrote entertaining mysteries, but I found my copy at a local, used book store. Apparently, Rice had a reputation for writing excellent murder mysteries that were also humorous.

In this novel, fifth of a series, a big city couple go to rural Wisconsin to do some fishing. The murder of a state politician is committed in plain sight in the court house where they stop to get a fishing license. Unfortunately for them, the victim rolls down the stairs and literally ends up dead at their feet. As strangers they are suspected as the murderers, as obviously no one in this small, close-knit town would ever do such a terrible thing. Although it was the first murder to occur in in 32 years, the town is getting ready to make up for it. The next three days see three more murders and, like today, the town begins to fill up with reporters from the major radio stations and newspapers from far and wide.

Apparently, the central character in the series is a somewhat alcoholic, big city lawyer by the name of John J. Malone. The couple is friendly with Malone, as he helped them avoid jail for other murders they were accused of.  (Hmmmmm….) So they give him a call to rush right up from Chicago. Malone is torn between solving the mystery and getting back to Chicago as quickly as he can. Fortunately, it is not necessary to read the series in order to appreciate the story or understand the characters. I felt I fully understood the characters as they were introduced, and Craig provides other necessary information about their personalities and relationship within the story.

Craig Rice was one of the names that Georgiana Ann Randolph Craig wrote under, while another is George Sanders. Craig once rivaled Agatha Christie in sales and was on the cover of Time Magazine in 1946. She died in 1957.

Temple of a Thousand Faces by John Shors

Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)

John Shors is a sure bet for me when I’m looking to escape into the pages of a book. In his latest novel, Temple of a Thousand Faces, Shors takes his readers to Cambodia.  He captures the lushness of the land, the majesty of Angkor Wat, and the essence of the people in a way that transports me to another time and place.

The novel takes place in the 12^th century and is centered on the attack on the Khmer people by the rival Chams, led by King Indravarman.  We meet people of all walks of life amongst the Khmers and their experiences throughout the attack and occupation by the Chams.

Prince Jayavar and his wife Ajadevi lead the Khmer people with wisdom and humility.  Their love for one another and their people propel them to do what is honorable and best for their people.  Working class fisherman Boran, his wife Soriya, and twin sons Vibol and Prak remain loyal to Prince Jayavar and develop plots to fight the Chams.  Voisanne is the daughter of a wealthy family taken by the enemy during the attack and given to one of King Indravarman’s best warriors, Asal, for his efforts in the Cham army.  Voisanne and Asal develop a connection that transcends the differences of their people and circumstances.  Po Rame is an assassin for the Cham king and takes pleasure in watching the souls leave the bodies of his victims.  Thida is a young woman who gains all of her self-worth from her beauty and is used by King Indravarman in his efforts to entrap Asal and Voisanne.  Shors weaves the lives of all of these characters together into a vibrant tapestry to bring to life a time period and people about which little is documented.

The theme of reincarnation is explored throughout the book with various characters but especially with Ajadevi.  She is able to access wisdom gained through experiences during past lives and apply that wisdom to her current situations.  She provides support and counsel for Prince Jayavar and is his primary confidant.  Her strength and dignity make Ajadevi one of my favorite characters in the book.

In my opinion, Temple of a Thousand Faces deserves 5 stars for these reasons: 1) the complex and compelling characters provide a variety of perspectives on a singular event, thus providing a richness to the overall story; 2) the obvious research Shors completed in order to write this novel provide an end product that is detailed, descriptive, and allows the reader to picture the landscape and people clearly; and 3) the themes of reincarnation and redemption are explored in different ways for the various characters thus making the novel a multi-layered experience for the reader.

Looking for a way to travel this summer but don’t have the budget to physically take a trip?  Try picking up this novel. And for a bonus, you can experience Cambodia without the frustrating mosquitoes described in the book.

The Wind Blows Death by Cyril Hare

Review by Matt B. (BuffaloSavage)

Amateur sleuth Frances Pettigrew appeared in five of Cyril Hare’s mysteries, sometimes with Inspector Mallet, sometimes by himself.  Pettigrew is a remarkable character in that he explicitly rejects seeing murder as a parlor game. Such is his desire “to leave the business of detection to my betters” that he never offers help to the investigation, but always waits to be asked. Or dragged in.

In this 1949 mystery, Pettigrew is pressured by Chief Constable MacWillams to assist without the knowledge of Inspector Trimble of the City Division of the Markshire County Constabulary. A greenhorn, Trimble is in over his head as he runs the investigation of the strangulation of a visiting professional violinist who was hired to play a solo with the Markhampton County Orchestral Society. Since Pettigrew’s wife plays the fiddle with other enthusiastic amateurs, Pettigrew, who practices at the bar and has an unfounded reputation as a practical man, has been deputized to be the society’s treasurer.

Cyril Hare was only 57 when he died, so his output is small – only nine novels and a handful of short stories – compared to the enormous production of that other mystery writer-lawyer, Erle Stanley Gardner. Hare’s mysteries are skillfully written, with sophisticated yet amiable humor, and often using a twist in the law in his reveals.

This novel, whose UK title is When the Wind Blows, was considered by critics Barzun and Taylor to be “a masterpiece by any standards” on their classics of crime list.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Review by Mirah W. (mwelday)

I think I’ve read a lot of books: hundreds, definitely; thousands, perhaps.  However, I have never (not that I can recall, anyway) read a book with such crazy characters.  And I’m talking about bat poop, where’s the straightjacket, have to pronounce ‘crazy’ with more than two syllables kind of crazy (if you’re not from the south and this seems unclear, that would be craa-aaa-zy).

Nick and Amy are in love.  Or are they?  On the day of their fifth wedding anniversary Amy goes missing, and, as is the case with these types of crimes, Nick is a suspect.  Isn’t it always the husband?  Delivered via alternating points of view, we get to know Nick, Amy, their personalities and their marriage. Flynn masterfully delivers a suspenseful story with intricate details that had me constantly second guessing what I thought was happening.

What’s strange about this book is I liked it in spite of not liking the characters.  Liking at least one character is usually important to me. But in this novel I really could care less about Nick or Amy.  More correctly, they frustrated me to no end and I wanted to toss the book across the room more than once.  I think they are shallow, reactive, manipulative and, well, crazy. I suppose with those things in common, they are the perfect couple.

For me to keep reading when I really didn’t like the characters means there has to be something else there.   So here are what I consider the good points: the plot moves quickly, there is always some new development (even if it is a small detail that really speaks volumes), and Flynn kept me guessing at the end of each chapter about what could be happening next.  This is not the type of mystery a reader figures out after just a few chapters.  Well, let me correct that.  If you’re reading this book and figure it all out after just reading a few chapters, remind me never to cross you because I’m afraid.  Very afraid.

This book had me shaking my head in dismay, dropping my jaw in shock and widening my eyes at the creepiness of it all. Yes, it’s that kind of weird.  But it’s an engrossing weird because I couldn’t put it down.  So if you get your thrills from wacky, crazy, you’ve-got-to-be-kidding-me kinds of stories, you need to get your hands on Gone Girl.

The Path of the Wicked by Caro Peacock

Review by Jerelyn H. (I-F-Letty)

Liberty Lane is back but traveling out of London for her next case.  Fed up with Disraeli and the skullduggery which he thrives on, she refuses to be drawn into his new machinations.  To distance herself, Liberty takes a case in the west of England.  A timid magistrate has come to her for help, fearing an innocent man is about to be hung, and at a lost as how to stop this injustice.

For those who have read the Liberty Lane series, this is a worthy addition to the ongoing tale of our Miss Lane.  Ms. Peacock has set this story in the West Country where she resides, and the flavor of the region permeates the story line. Farm labor unrest, the ruling classes getting away with murder, and the working class taking it on the chin as usual.

In the mid 19^th century, justice was not for the poor or the working class, and if you were a poor working class woman, there was no such thing as justice, not under the law nor in society.   Amos Legg and Lizzy are with Liberty on this case, and we get to know a bit more about Amos. Lizzy is as always her curmudgeonly self, a fish out of water in the country but invaluable to Liberty as she struggles to unravel the complicated tale which lead to the murder of an admired governess, and finally to the murderer.

Caro Peacock aka Gillian Linscott’s writing career has been based on the struggles of women, the poor and the working class in the Victorian and Edwardian periods.  She eloquently shows the beginnings of the social revolution in the 19^th century, a revolution that was the only recourse against social injustice first for workers then onto women rights.  Sadly the problems she addresses are as relevant today as they were 140 years ago.

These books are not a preachy socialist, or feminist manifesto, but an entertaining way for us to be reminded that we didn’t always enjoy the freedoms we have now, and if we aren’t very careful we may wake up one day to find those rights so many fought for,  eroded and perhaps gone.

4 Stars!