Eiffel's Tower: and the World's Fair where Buffalo Bill beguiled Paris, the artists quarreled, and Thomas Edison became a count by Jill Jonnes

In ten words or less: What do Eiffel, Cody, Edison and Gauguin have in common?

Review: Who can imagine Paris without the Eiffel tower? Many Parisians hated the monument that Gustav Eiffel built for the 1899 Paris World's Fair. There were criticisms about the design, the cost, the safety, and the fact that no French company would bid on the job of designing and manufacturing the elevators that would travel up the curved legs of the tower.
The author intertwines the story of Eiffel with those of Buffalo Bill Cody, Paul Gauguin, and Thomas Edison. Buffalo Bill's wild west show, starring Annie Oakley, was the sensation of the fair, with its "garcons du boeuf," Indian chiefs, buffalo, and displays of sharpshooting. Thomas Edison was showing an early version of the phonograph, but was beset by unscrupulous partners and promoters who wanted to take advantage of him.
The Impressionist artists, especially Paul Gauguin, felt that they were not given their due consideration in the art exhibit. Gauguin pulled his works out of the French exhibit, and hung them on the walls of a cafe on the fair grounds.

Why bother? Readers who enjoyed Erik Larson's "The Devil in White City" will enjoy this look at Paris at the end of the nineteenth century. Fans of the histories of David McCullough and Simon Winchester should add this book to their "must read" list.

Phi Beta Murder: a Rex Graves Mystery

In ten words or less: Scottish barrister investigates death of a Florida college student.

Review: Rex Graves, a Scottish barrister with a knack for solving crimes, anticipates a carefree holiday in Florida with his college student son, Campbell. When the dormitory resident assistant, Dixon Clark, is discovered hanged in his room, the university and the police are quick to write off the death as a suicide. But Dixon's family is not so sure, and none of his friends think he's been depressed.
Graves agrees to look into the circumstances around Dixon's death, while still hoping for some time with his son boating and fishing. But even that is seeming more unlikely with the surprize appearance of Graves' old flame Moira Wilcox, who had tossed him over to go to Iraq.

Why bother? Very much in the spirit of Agatha Christie, "Phi Beta Murder" is a cozy with an amateur sleuth, but with a middle-aged male at center stage. This is one to recommend to mystery-loving friends. Can't wait for the next Rex Graves adventure!

Death in Show by Judi McCoy

In ten words or less: Dog handler drops dead in show ring; is it murder?

Review: Ellie Engleman is a dog walker, and one of her clients--Lulu, a Havanese--will be competing in a prestigious dog show. Flora Steinman, Lulu's wealthy owner, asks Ellie along to the dog show to watch the dog in the show ring. But Lulu's handler drops dead, and the police investigate.
Detective Sam Ryder, Ellie's sometime boyfriend, is on the scene. There are plenty of suspects--rival handlers, Flora, and even Ellie.

Why bother? The reason Ellie gets along so well with her charges is that she can communicate with the dogs--she talks to them, and they talk back. The dogs are more interesting characters than their owners, for the most part. Part chick lit, part cozy mystery, part Disney story--readers of Rita Mae Brown and Lauren Berenson's animal mysteries will want to check out Judi McCoy.

Book Review

Djibouti by Elmore Leonard

In ten words or less: Somali pirates and al-Qaeda terrorists are subjects of filmmaker's documentary.

Review: Best-selling author Elmore Leonard combines Somali pirates and al-Qaeda terrorists in his latest novel. Dara Barr, an award winning documentary filmmaker, heads to Africa to film modern day pirates in action. With her is Xavier LeBo, a 72-year-old African-American seafarer, as her right-hand man and expert on all things nautical.
Pirates have captured a liquefied natural gas tanker and are negotiating for a ransom. Texas billionaire Billy Wynn and his girlfriend Helene are sailing around the world, and Billy hints to Dara that he might be CIA. Meanwhile, jama Raisuli, a young ex-con from Miami turned al-Qaeda terrorist, is plotting to blow up something big.
Are the pirates more interested in riding around Djibouti in their luxury autos, wearing their $200 shoes, or are they in league with al-Qaeda?

Why bother? In an Elmore Leonard story, the women are always gorgeous, the bad guys nefarious, the action is nonstop, and the humor comes in short, sharp jabs. No one is who they seem. No one does it better.

April's Books

Fans of BBC's "Top Gear" will enjoy "Born to be Riled," a collection of columns from presenter Jeremy Clarkson. In addition to his reviews of automobiles, from the mundane to the exotic, he vents on about jeans, country life, and aging rocker Cliff Richard. If Andy Rooney were British and test-drove cars, he would be Jeremy Clarkson.

Lesson of her death by Jeffery Deaver

Damaged by Pamela Callow
Playing for pizza by John Grisham
The Gourmet cookie book: the single best recipe from each year 1941-2009

Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica
Trouble with chickens by Doreen Cronin
Diamond Ruby by Joseph Wallace
Tick tock by James Patterson
The tournament by John Clarke
Play dead by Ryan Brown
Dead deceiver by Victoria Houston
Death of a chimney sweep by M.C. Beaton
Murder on the moor by C.S. Challinor
Started early took my dog by Kate Allison
Born to be riled by Jeremy Clarkson
Unfamiliar fishes by Sarah Vowell
Boxer and the spy by Robert B. Parker
Wordy shipmates by Sarah Vowell
Motorworld by Jeremy Clarkson
Dirty water by Mary-Ann Smith
Back nine by Billy Mott