Lowcountry Bombshell by Susan M. Boyer

Henry Press
(The 2nd Liz Talbot Mystery)

                               
Imagine the spitting image of Marilyn Monroe showing up on your doorstep and asking you to save her from the same fate as the real Marilyn.  Would you open the door and say “Sure – come on in and we’ll work this out.”?  Well apparently you would if you are local Stella Maris PI, Liz Talbot.

Calista McQueen (the Marilyn double) is one of many zany characters in the book that keep you amused, puzzled and engaged. The story moves along quickly with enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing.  A little romance between Liz and Nate, who is not only her business partner but also the brother of her ex, helps to turn up the heat for those who like it hot.   

My only complaint is that some of the details seem like filler to me.  The love scene between Liz and Nate is too long for this type of book and the story itself.  And knowing that Liz and Calista both order salad with grilled chicken and a glass of iced tea for lunch, does nothing to move the plot along or develop the characters.  Why bother to include such redundant details?  Beats me - you wouldn’t be missing anything if this information was left out.

 

That being said, Susan Boyer is a talented storyteller who moves the plot along at a quick pace maintaining a nice balance between tense atmosphere and lighter moments.   She also incorporates some interesting information about the real Marilyn into the story, a subject that is of particular interest to her.   Overall this is an entertaining light read well worth your time on a lazy Sunday afternoon. 

Click on Susan's name above to link to her blog or you can find her on Facebook.

Banned Books Week and The Diviners

Since this is Banned Books Week in many places, I thought I would bring up a book that was once 'removed' from the reading list of some Canadian schools and is now considered a Canadian classic - The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence. 

I read this book not long after it was first published (1974). I remember being enthralled by the book and drawn into Morag's world. Life in the prairies was so different from my experience in the big city that it truly was like travelling to another world.  I can remember being astounded when I first heard that there was a burning controversy over this book, that it was considered amoral, blasphemous and I don't remember what all else. Not appropriate for Grade 13 students (who were probably doing a lot worse things than Morag)! All this uproar for a (sordid ?!?!) sex scene and a few swear words?   

After reading the Diviners I wanted to read more Margaret Laurence books and proceeded to read the other books about the fictional town of Manawaka. Laurence's books gave me an appreciation of strong, not perfect female characters.  They also made me interested in other Canadian writers like Alice Munro, W. O. Mitchell, Margaret Atwood, and Gabrielle Roy to name a few.

Here are two links about The Diviners and Margaret Laurence :

The first is a clip from CBC about The Diviners and the controversy:
http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/arts-entertainment/literature/margaret-laurence-canadas-divine-writer/laurences-books-banned.html

The second is an article  titled "The Censorship of Margaret Laurence's  The Diviner's, 1976 - 1985,written by Sheila Turcon of McMaster University. 
Don't forget to read the comments after the article.

http://hpcanpub.mcmaster.ca/case-study/censorship-margaret-laurence-s-diviners-1976-1985

Lewis Carroll - One of my favorites

Because I'm feeling philosophical on this dark and grey Sunday morning, I thought I would share some of my favorite quotes from one of the greatest philosophers ever, Lewis Carroll.

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’

’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

’The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master — that’s all.”    

“Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle.”  

“I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then.”

 

 

“What is the use of a book’, thought Alice, ‘without pictures or conversations?”

 

 

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?”  

 

 

Yes I do, Alice, I do.

 

 

― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

A Darkness Descending by Christobel Kent

Open Road Integrated Media

Pegasus Books

 

There is a new political movement in Florence Italy, the Frazione Verde.  The party's young members are mostly intellectuals, die-hard greens, communists and war protesters.  At the party's helm is Niccolo Rosselli, a humble, unassuming individual,  who once he is on the podium becomes a charismatic speaker with the innate ability to ignite a crowd and create a following. One evening while addressing his followers he mysteriously collapses.  Following this, it becomes known that his wife, Flavia, has disappeared, deserting Niccolo and their newborn son.  Then the attacks on the party start.

Soon it is discovered that Flavia has committed suicide at a small beachside resort.  Sandro Cellini, a private investigator, becomes involved in the case and he can't believe that someone with so much to live for could commit suicide. And so the investigation begins.  The investigation examines some of the ideals that are the basis of the Frazione Verde as well as basic human emotions and desire.  Power, control, manipulation and the many facets of love, including altruistic love, are examined through the lives of Niccollo, Flavia, Sandro, Luisa (Sandro's wife), Giuli (Sandro's assistant) and Enzo (Giuli's boyfriend) and a number of other secondary characters.

This story is not a breathtaking race to find out whodunit.  This is a mystery about human nature that requires observation, compassion, intellect and common sense to solve. Christobel Kent very skillfully unveils the story by peeling through the layers of human emotions to get at the vulnerable core of the human psyche.  The darkness that descends is one that can easily be imagined in today's world and I think that makes it all the more tragic.

I received my copy of this book from NetGalley and did not realize that this is the fourth book featuring the character Sandro Cellini.  It seems like it stands alone, but I think if I had been familiar with the characters, the first few chapters would have gone by faster.  Once I got to know the characters, however, I liked them, especially Sandro and his wife Luisa. 

This is a well-written story by an author who pays attention to the small details that make a person an individual.  There are just enough details in the telling to create interesting and believable characters without being a cumbersome read.

This one should be on your "want to read it" list.

A link to an interesting interview with Christobel Kent:
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Whats-on-leisure/Books/Some-people-write-for-therapy-but-I-always-wanted-an-audience-Christobel-Kent-20130402115749.htm

Ill-Gotten Gains by Ilsa Evans

A Nell Forrest Mystery

Momentum Books

In the second Nell Forrest mystery, the sleepy town of Majic is gearing up to celebrate its 150^th anniversary and preparations are in full swing to re-enact the sunset ride that led to the founding of the town.  Nell and her youngest daughter Quinn go to the local cemetery to do some research for Quinn’s school project related to the town founder, Petar Majic.  While examining the Majic crypt, Quinn inadvertently knocks down a plaque only to reveal another plaque that has lain hidden for years.  The two take the broken plaque to the historical society for repair and to report the newly discovered plaque.  This simple act of conscience sets into play a series of events that will question the town’s past, threaten its present and change the course for the future.  Two members of the historical society are murdered and a prominent family has its very roots questioned.

Nell is also looking at her own past, present and towards the future but not by choice.  Her ex is demanding his half of their house and Nell is having trouble letting go of the home and all the family memories it holds. Her personal life is complicated by her daughters trying to figure out their own futures, unwanted pregnancies, and the murder investigation, leaving Nell little time to contemplate her own future. Once Nell, her family and friends start asking questions pertaining to the murders and the town's past, her life is threatened and she is put under police protection and the ever watchful eye of the charming Detective Sergeant Ashley Armistead. 

Again each chapter begins with a funny note to Nell as the author of the Middle-Aged Spread column and Nell’s thoughts frequently appear as headlines.  Ilsa Evans’ witty Australian humour is a significant part of the pleasure of reading this book but so too is the well thought out and informative plot.

As an Aussie might say - a rip snorter of a read.

Valley of Vice by Steve Garcia

Diversion Books

 

Valley of Vice is a police procedural novel.  Two deaths are discovered - one is an apparent suicide the other a murder tied in with arson.  Detective Philippa Wallace and Detective Salvadore Reyes investigate both and start to believe the two deaths are connected.  They pursue the case gathering evidence and conducting numerous interrogations to prove their theory. To complicate matters, internal investigations gets in their way when it is suspected there is a bad cop in their midst. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect.

 

I found the story difficult to follow at times.  Like most police procedurals there is more than one plot thread that develops.  Each thread is interesting but they could have been developed in more detail. There are also so many characters involved and they just aren’t developed and distinct enough. I found myself frequently going back in the story to clarify who was who until I was about half way through the book. 

 

Another thing that irked me was the “locker room” humour that frequently surfaced.  Yes, it is most likely a reflection of the reality in a squad room or a bar, but I can live without sexist and homophobic jokes, albeit humour is a personal thing.

For me this was an - almost but not quite - read. 

Pray for Us Sinners by Peter S. Fischer

The Hollywood Murder Mysteries Book Seven

Grove Point Press
Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Members' Titles

This is the first book I have read in the Hollywood Murder Mysteries series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Part of the pleasure for me was the locale, Quebec City in the 1950’s.  I live in the Province of Quebec and am familiar with the city.  The main stage for the story is the Chateau Frontenac, one of the grande dames of Canadian hotels.

The story revolves around the filming of the Alfred Hitchcock movie, “I Confess” which really was filmed in Quebec City in 1952. The main character is amicable Joe Bernardi who works for Warner Brothers Studios making sure all the press and publicity surrounding the film is positive. The story is written in the first person giving it a “film noir” atmosphere, very appropriate and true to the movie.  A beautiful “femme fatale”, Jeanne D’Arcy, the Quebec Film Commissioner, arrives to help Joe sort out a few things with the press and smooth some troubled waters.  But then Jeanne is arrested for the murder of her ex-lover and Joe is convinced she didn’t do it.

Is Joe being naïve and taken in by the lovely Jeanne? Is Jeanne being framed?  Who is following Joe around and why is he being shot at?  Will the Archbishop shut down the film because of the scandal?

The book is just great fun. I appreciated reading about a movie production in the 1950’s, Hitchcock and his wife, Montgromery Clift, Anne Baxter and references to other Hollywood stars of the era. I especially like Hitchcock and am partial to this period for movies when the emphasis was on great storytelling and character development, not special effects and shock value.  I also liked how Peter Fischer interlaces history, fact and fiction.   Some of the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more and there are a few inaccuracies (i.e. Montreal is not the capital of the Province of Quebec, even though it should be), but hey, a little artistic license doesn’t detract from the main event – a story that holds your attention.

 

So, despite the fact that this is book seven in the series, I found it a great initiation to the series and  a good read.

 

Here is a link to an interview with Peter S. Fischer.

 

http://jesmaine.tripod.com/mswpetersfischerinterview.html