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Haunted Ground by Erin Hart

Picked up this at the library after seeing a reference to it on Goodreads.  I have never read anything, to my knowledge, by Erin Hart before.  The story revolves around a well preserved body discovered in a peat bog in an area where a young woman and child recently disappeared.  The two stories are told simultaneously.

There is a lot to like in this book.  The setting is very well done, excellent sense of place that develops through the book.  There is also cultural and historical references including music and folklore that add color and detail to the story.  The protagonist is an archaeologist, Cormac Maguire.  His sidekick/romantic interest/colleague is an American pathologist, Nora Gavin.  Both these characters are well developed with their own motivations and feelings.  The dark moody atmosphere is maintained throughout the story, very similar to Elly Griffiths and Ann Cleeves work, two writers I enjoy.

My issue with the book is that it was really, really obvious who the culprit(s) were and basically what happened.  It seemed so obvious to me and I was so sure of it, that for a minute I thought perhaps I had read the book before.  There are characters that are put forth, as so called red herrings, but I didn’t buy it at all.  This occurred so early on that I had a hard time staying interested in the rest of the story.  The reveal, when it did occur, felt rushed, like a sudden sprint to the end.  It was not in keeping with the pace and tone of the rest of the book.

Overall, there is a lot to like, but the mystery plot itself was a let down.

 

 

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Library Loot

wpid-IMAG0484.jpg Picked up some mysteries today, not everything was in but these were.

Mind’s Eye by Hakan Nesser now translated into English #1 in An Inspector Van Vetteren Mystery series.

Cambridge Blue by Alison Bruce F#1 in the A DC Gary Goodhew Mystery Series.

Voices by Arnaldur Indridason.  This is the third in the Reykjavik Murder Series translated into English, however it is the 5th in the series…another victim if TOOS (Translated Out of Order Syndrome).  I read the first two that were translated and they were great!

Haunted Ground by Erin Hart.  Say this one advertised on Goodreads and it really intrigued me. Sounds reminiscent of Elly Griffiths or Ann Cleeves, both of whom I really like.

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie is the first in a series featuring Det. Supt Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James.  Another recommendation from Goodreads that sounds promising.

 

 

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A Mind to Murder by P.D. James

  I have felt for some time that as a mystery fan I really should have read some P.D. James, being that she is such a prolific and well respected mystery writer.  I picked up this one at my local book shop to give it a try.

I really liked the character of Dalgliesh, the sleuth.  Organized and intelligent are words that come to mind to describe him.  The other characters though, come across a little flat.  The only one I really cared about we only get to know through other’s perspectives because she dies at the beginning of the book, spurring the entire mystery.  It is a sort of twist that although the murder takes place in a psychiatric ward, none of the patients are suspects, only the staff.

As par for the course in mysteries there is some misdirection in the book, intended to mislead the reader.  My issue was that the
“red herring” plot actually worked better than the actual resolution, at least for me.

Based on this book alone, I don’t know if I would read more in the series, but given that  PD James is such an iconic mystery writer I feel that I should give a couple more a chance before I make a decision to give up on this series.

 

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Three Great Cozies…

freezer dial oma fatal slip

I had to take my mom to the hospital (she is fine now)  and ended up spending a lot of time there, so I read these three cozies.  All of them are books in series that I enjoy.

The first is Freezer I’ll Shoot from Victoria Hamilton, the third book in the A Vintage Kitchen Mystery series that I really enjoy.   In this book the mystery is  interesting.  The relationship between Jaymie and Daniel is developed, including their parents.  I’m impressed with the romance portion of this book (and the series).  In many cozies, the male characters are either exs, in which case they are no go rotten cheating bas***** or they are these idealized new men that swoop into the protagonists life.   Daniel is flawed and the relationship is flawed and you truly don’t know at this point whether they will end up together or even whether they should.  It is a very realistic touch.  The setting is intriguing to me because I have visited similar areas, border areas between the US and Canada.  The vintage theme is fun and interesting and has now expanded to a newspaper column as well.  Another fun, quick, good read in this series.

Dial Om for Murder is the second book in the  A Mantra for Murder series.  I just recently read the first in this series, Corpse Pose and ordered this one right afterwards.  The character, AJ, is a very sympathetic character. She is going through a lot including continuing issues with her ex-husband, who we met in the first book.  Her romance with Jake continues to be rocky.  The adversarial relationship with Lily continues in this book, as does her hot and cold relationship with her mother.  In most reviews I read, people love the character of Elysia, Jaymie’s mom, but I find her aggravating and I mean that as a good thing.  I get so caught up in the story that her mother drives me just as crazy as she drives Jaymie.  A good cozy mystery in a series that I will continue to read.

The final book was A Fatal Slip, book 3 in the A Sweet Nothings Lingerie Mystery series. In this book, there is a lot of focus on Arabella, as a former love returns to town at the same time as she is dealing with a health scare.  Emma is still the main sleuth and protagonist, although she enlists the help of Liz to investigate the murder, mainly to clear Arabella’s name.  Emma’s relationship with Brian continues to progress in a well-paced fashion.  I am wondering where the series is going theme-wise because Emma seems to be moving away from the Lingerie shop and into other enterprises. Some new characters have moved to the town and I wonder if they will be recurring, especially Joy, whose name is definitely not well-suited.  Cute cozy mystery!

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Corpse Pose by Diana Killian

  Ordered this cozy while waiting for another yoga based cozy, Murder Strikes a Pose, to come in to my local indie bookshop.

I was looking for a break from the many book store/library and cat based cozies that I read.  I love them, but sometimes they start to run together in my head :).  I am not a crafty person so many of the craft cozies don’t really appeal to me, but the yoga theme really got my attention.

This cozy was very good. I ordered the next in the series already.  The opening starts with a murder (off screen) of AJ’s beloved aunt.  The murder brings her home to New Jersey as her aunt’s next of kin and heir to a yoga based empire.  AJ is a free lance PR person living in Manhatten and recently divorced and not doing well in her personal or professional life.  Her husband left her for a man and she is really feeling the sting.

I thought the mystery plot was pretty good. I liked the characters of AJ and her mother Elysia.  The characters were well done and I really liked the inclusion of Lily as I have had the misfortune to meet a yoga teacher like her so that character struck me as particularly “real”. I actually found that the yoga theme doesn’t overwhelm the story, so if a reader is not a yoga practitioner they can still enjoy this book.  There is a love interest in the form of Detective Oberlin.  I actually think the romantic elements and AJ being able to step in right back into yoga after years away were weak parts in the book.  I don’t want to discuss specifics because I can’t really do that without a spoiler so I’ll just leave it alone.

Overall, I liked AJ, the theme and the mystery, so I will definitely read the next one in the series.  I think this series may be finished because there are only four books published and the last one was in 2011.

 

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Weekend Cooking ….Swede (Rutabaga)

wkendcooking  This is a meme hosted by BethFishReads found here.  My post this week is not on one specific meal or recipe but rather on….

swede

an unfortunately neglected root vegetable in the US where I currently reside.    Maybe it’s his looks??  In real life, I don’t know anyone who eats them.

In the UK, he would be called a swede, which is short for Swedish turnip.  In some areas, he might just be referred to as a turnip, yellow turnip or neep.  In the US, however his name is rutabaga, this is derived from the original Swedish word Rotabagge.  The vegetable was first noted growing wild in Sweden.  In any case, delicious, hearty, healthy and earthy are all appropriate taglines.

Nutritionally, Swede is a fantastic source of potassium.  People who get leg cramps at night (charley horses) are often told they lack potassium and should eat bananas.  Well 1 medium swede has a banana beat by a mile as a source for potassium.  A banana provides 422 mg of potassium, while the lowly swede comes in at 1,177 or 33% of your daily recommended allowance. Vitamin C?? The banana comes in at 17%, while the swede….160%!  In addition, our swede has no fat, no cholesterol, and includes some protein, B-6, Iron, Calcium and Magnesium.

Swedes often are sold coated in wax, which might be a turnoff for some people looking at the lonely 2 or 3 swedes sitting in the produce bin at their supermarket.  The wax is to prevent the veg from drying out in cold storage.  If you look online there are youtube videos and websites  showing methods to remove the wax from the rutabaga.  Some of these seem entirely too time consuming if you ask me, refrigerating and then scraping?? microwaving and boiling?? Ummm, no.  I have no issue removing the wax and skin from the Swede with these:knives

First, use cleaver (probably any heavy duty kitchen knife would do) to cut swede into quarters, then use your sharp peeler and it works just fine.    I guess if for some reason you wanted just the wax off and to leave the skin on the Swede you could try one of the other methods available on line.

As far as cooking, my standby is simply to cut the swede into chunks.  Then, toss with olive oil, coarse salt and pepper and roast in a hot oven for about 40 minutes, shaking the tray a couple times.  Alternatively, I have been known to throw some chunks into a pot of boiling water with potatoes and mash them up together with butter, milk, salt and pepper.

My family’s favorite is to use Swede and other of his root vegetable friends in a root vegetable gratin.

5 pounds of mixed root veg (including swede, of course)

1  cup of heavy cream

salt & pepper

1 cup vegetable broth or chicken or whatever you like.

4 Tbsp. butter

chunk of parmesan cheese or about a 3/4 cup shredded.

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Use one Tbsp butter to butter an 8 x 12 ish pan (I use a Le Creuset oval baker I have but that doesn’t really matter)
  • peel and slice  veg thin (a mandoline would come in handy…I don’t have one I just slice with a knife)
  • Layer in pan seasoning between each layer (I try to put all one veg in a layer but to each their own)
  • When they are all layered in the pan pour in the broth, put pats of butter on top and cover with foil.
  • bake for about 30 minutes.  veg should let you slide a knife in pretty easily.
  • Take from oven and crank it up to 425. Pour over cream, grate cheese (if not grated) or sprinkle cheese over top of cream
  • Put back in oven for about 20 minutes.

I know my unexactness (is that even a word??) bugs some people (read…my daughter) but I generally just eyeball things.  Exact recipes are all over the web and can vary greatly in the proportions so try a couple.  Here are a couple hints:  if you use a bigger pan then your veg layers will be spread out and thinner, you will have to adjust cooking time, also if you use a smaller pan you layers will be deeper, watch your liquid  and adjust your cooking time.  When you pour the broth in it should NOT be covering the veg, just covering the bottom of the dish.

Enjoy!

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The Silence of the Library by Miranda James

This is the 5th book in the A Cat in the Stacks Mystery series.  I loved this outing in the series!  Charlie Harris, a librarian and sleuth, and his sidekick Diesel, the giant Maine Coon cat, become entangled in a murder mystery involving classic mystery series books for children in the ilk of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys to name some of the most popular ones.  The fictional Veronica Thane series that is at the center of The Silence of the Library   is closely modeled on Nancy Drew, perhaps a more over the top version, and the centenarian author character is modeled on Mildred Wirt Benson, the original Nancy Drew author.

The mystery plot was  very well done and interestingly crafted in that the Charlie Harris story is interspersed with readings from a Veronica Thane novel, so the reader goes through both mysteries together to come to the reveal.  The parallelism was a fun plot device for the reader.

This mystery series does have several recurring characters, such as Charlie’s children and Helen Louise, a love interest.  These relationships have developed over time so reading the series in order is probably ideal, however this story can stand on its own, especially for lover’s of Nancy Drew type books.

A great cozy mystery read! Highly recommended!

As an aside, the author writes this series as Miranda James, a pseudonym, but writes the Simon Kirby-Jones series under his name, Dean James.  The Simon Kirby-Jones series is a different kind of cozy, a lot of fun and I really liked it.  I read that entire series.  I have now ordered a book from a third series by this author written under the name of Honor Hartman and can’t wait to give that a try.

 

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Scandal in Skibbereen & A Spoonful of Murder

 

I was happy to get Scandal in Skibbereen by Sheila Connolly because I really enjoyed Buried in a Bog, book 1 in the County Cork series.  This second outing did not disappoint.  The mystery was full of twists and turns.  You get hints of what might be the answer but it doesn’t come all out until the reveal. The crime is connected to events in the past, a very Downton Abbey feel for that part of it.  This book,  like the first in the series, has a great sense of place.  I really enjoy books that develop the setting well.  Besides the theme, involving life as an Irish Pub owner, there are also elements of Irish history and Art history explored.  Really makes for an interesting read.

The sleuth, Maura, is also coming more into her own.  She has a personality that is more than just two dimensional.  You get to see her flaws, as well as what she is capable of achieving.  She comes across as intelligent, friendly and just a little cynical at times.  The recurring characters are developing and there were some new “tourist” characters in this book, just enough to give you a variety of suspects and informants.  In this book, there is the introduction of a romantic element, but I don’t want to say more and give anything away.

Great cozy mystery read.  Definitely looking forward to more in this series!

I picked up A Spoonful of Murder on a whim from my local indie bookshop.  I really knew nothing about the series or the author. I usually go in with a list that I am looking for but I didn’t that day.  I went home and checked the reviews on Goodreads and they were a mixed bag, but with some very critical ones.  I decided to give it a shot anyway, even though I have a great teetering tower of books on my nightstand and I’m afraid to even open my Kindle right now.  I am really glad that I did!

I really enjoyed this mystery.  A fun cozy with interesting characters.  I  liked the theme, a soup based restaurant, more of a soup and sandwich shop really.  The small town/touristy area setting worked well with the theme.  I did solve the mystery, but that was about two thirds of the way through and I still enjoyed the rest of the book.  The characters made the book for me; the protagonist, Lucky Jamieson, her grandfather, Jack, Sage, Remy, and Sophie are all engaging.  They pulled me in and I cared about the resolution.

This was an impulse buy that paid off.

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A Love to Die For by Christine T. Jorgensen

 Picked up this cozy mystery, first published back in 1997.  It was interesting to me that there were so few reviews for it on Goodreads, only 18.  Seems to be a series that has been passed over.  There are five books total in the series.

This first book sets up the premise for the rest of the series.  Jane Smith is an accountant, who appears to have some sort of midlife crisis. She quits her steady, stable career, dumps her boyfriend and gets a job as a newspaper horoscope/advice columnist, reinventing herself as Stella the Stargazer.  There is a paranormal element here, she has some psychic type abilities that she puts to use in her advice giving and… in a murder investigation.

The murder plot was well done with adequate characters and red herrings to make it difficult to solve.  Stella/Jane is an interesting sleuth.  She has enough fear and caution to balance her curiousness to make her character more real.  You definitely get a sense of her human frailty.  Her main sidekick is her pet Fluffy, a little chameleon, maybe a metaphor for her change?? There are humorous quips, literary references,  romantic episodes and paranormal elements all included in this book.  I quite enjoyed it and will look for another in the series to read.

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Reading through My Insomnia

pollifax double booked 18210686

 

Last night I couldn’t sleep…too many aches and pains from packing and hauling boxes I guess.  Anyway, I read the above three cozy mysteries.  Well actually I just finished the last part of the Ali Brandon and then read the other two.

Double Booked for Death was great.  I loved the theme, even though the whole bookstore and cat thing has been done to death.  This series even revives a little of the original Cat Who… series in which the cat gives hints in book titles.

The sleuth, Darla, really appealed to me.  She comes across as intelligent and having common sense, very “real” feeling as a person.  Her various sidekicks, Jake, a retired cop/store security/tenant, Hamlet, the series named “Black Cat”, and James, a retired Lit. professor/store manager all add to the story rather than detract from it.  The book was very well written, with a higher level of vocabulary than often seen in cozies.  There were many elements that gave it a modern feel, sometimes books can get “stuck” in a time and feel dated.  There is the tiniest hint of a romance that might develop in future books, but the focus really was on the mystery.  I did find a side plot resolution a little odd, but it was still ok.  The only other negative was James’ behavior regarding some questionable business practice, I just don’t think a small business owner would be willing to allow an employee to buy up what would be valuable stock to flog on Ebay.  It also seemed out of character for James as written.

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax was my first introduction to this older series.  It is a book I never would have picked up on my own but it came highly recommended from a friend.  Well written, fun and humourous, I did enjoy reading it.  It is definitely not my normal type read.   I don’t know if I would classify it as a mystery, it was more of a comedic twist of a spy/adventure story.  Reminded me very much of Elizabeth Peters’ work and I’m sure Amelia Peabody fans would like it.  The character of Mrs. Pollifax is delightful and her relationship with Carstairs and the other spies or operatives is engaging.  I’m sure I will read more of this in the future.

A Tough Nut to Kill is a brand new series.  I attempted to grow nut trees once, years ago when I was married and we had a huge yard, well not huge by Texas standards I’m sure, but pretty big by Suburban NJ standards.  They all died. So,  I thought the nut farming theme might make for an interesting read.  The book was well written and edited and full of local color for the Texas setting.  The murder mystery was interesting and was tied to an older death in the family, so two mysteries twined together.  I just didn’t connect with this one for some reason.  I’m sure that it will work for other readers, particularly ones that are a fan of the Texas setting.