How to Wash a Cat by Rebecca M. Hale

In ten words or less: What was Uncle Oscar hiding, and was he really dead?

Review: When her Uncle Oscar died, his niece was left with a rundown antiques shop in a historic San Francisco neighborhood. The plan was to move into the small flat above the shop, and then decide what to do about the shop itself. It was more of a collection of junk than a toney store like the others on the street. She'd probably keep her job as an accountant, but what to do with all that "stuff" in the shop? There was a huge taxidermied kangaroo in one of the rooms--what was that about? Her uncle had specialized in collectibles from the Gold Rush era.

Why bother? How can you resist that title? For cozy fans who enjoy a mystery with a colorful setting and, oh yeah, cats.

Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke

In ten words or less: Hannah joins a health club; discovers a dead fitness instructor.

Review: Hannah Swensen, bakery owner, is determined to fit into anew dress for the launch party of her mother's new novel. Her sister Andrea convinces her to come to the new health club, Heavenly Bodies, for daily workouts.
But at the club Hannah discovers the body of Ronni Ward, a fitness instructor, who has been "involved" with many of the men in town, including most of the police detectives. And one of the detectives is Hannah's own Mike Kingston.
An out-of-town investigator is brought in to solve the case, while Hannah snoops and bakes cookies. A Minnesota cozy, with cookie recipes included.

Why bother? Likeable characters and the usual mouth-watering recipes combine for an enjoyable read.

September's Books

In "Elmore Leonard's ten rules of writing" the author sums up his philosophy of writing. Avoid adverbs, prologues, and exclamation points. Never open a book with the weather. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters, places, and things. "Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip."

Lonely Planet. San Francisco encounter
Misuraca, Karen. Fun with the family: northern California
Lescroart, John. Treasure hunt
Abbott, Meg. Bury me deep
Radke, Linda F. Economical guide to self-publishing
Casagrande, June. It was the best of sentences
Cass, Maxine. Off the beaten path: northern California
Rich, Jason. Self-publishing for dummies
Malliet, G.M. Death and the alma mater
Hale, Rebecca. How to wash a cat
Malliet, G.M. Death and the lit chick
Gore, Ariel. How to become a famous writer before you're dead
Raffles, Hugh. Insectopedia
Leonard, Elmore. Elmore Leonard's ten rules of writing
Hutchinson, Bobby. Every move you make
Fodor's San Francisco
Sterling, Richard. Unofficial guide to San Francisco
Casey, Elizabeth Lynn. Sew deadly

Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet
In ten words or less: Mystery writer threatens to disinherit children; who did him in?

Review: Millionaire mystery writer Sir Adrian Beauclerk-Fisk threatens his four adult childen with disinheritance on a regular basis. One day each of the children receives a garish invitation to their father's upcoming wedding to a woman named Violet. They imagine her as a young gold-digger, but much to their surprise she is an attractive, cultured woman of their father's age. And they are already married! What is their father up to?

Why bother? A mystery in the manner of Agatha Christie--which member of the assembled party at the manor house is the murderer? A teriffic page turner!

Insectopedia by Hugh Raffles

In ten words or less: What are human's reactions to insects? Revulsion, science, phobias, aesthetics.

Review: Insects have existed alongside of humans for as long as humans have been alive. Insects travel with humans; they eat. live, and sleep with us. In a series of essays, Raffles examines "how insects have triggered our obsessions, stirred our passions, and beguiled our imaginations."
Raffles talks with a woman who has studied insect mutations after Chernobyl--it's amazing to discover that no one in the science community was disturbed by her findings. Another chapter asks " how can locusts bring both feast and famine in Africa?"
In one essay, he examines Heinrich Himmler's statement, "Antisemitism is exactly the same as delousing." Prisoners at Auschwitz were killed in "delousing facilities," with an insecticide developed for delousing buildings and clothes. It is a deeply disturbing historical picture of Nazi Germany.
Why bother? Raffles presents some difficult problems for us to think about, yet does it without beating the reader over the head with statistics and dire predictions. A fascinating look at the interrelationship between insects and humans, "Insectopedia" is a book you will want to read and read again.

Sew Deadly by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

In ten words or less: Librarian is suspected of murdering a small town beauty queen.

Review: Tori Sinclair, excited to begin her new job a head of the Sweet Briar public Library, didn't suspect to come across a dead body in her first week on the job. Tiffany Ann Gilbert, the local beauty queen, is dead, and the local law thinks Tori had it in for her.
Why would Tori want to murder a woman she had never met? Other than the fact that Tori's a stranger, a Yankee (!), and that she was hired for a job that a local woman, Dixie Dunn, had held for years. Then there's the handsome elementary school teacher that Tiffany Ann had been unsuccessfully pursuing, and who has been seen having coffee with Tori at Debbie's Bakery.
Tori attempts to solve the mystery and win over the members of the local sewing circle.

Why bother? Fans of cozy mysteries set in small southern towns will want to check out this new series.

Saturday at the Farmers' Market

Here's a different way to prepare leeks, other than to use them in soup. Enjoy!

September Leeks

2 large leeks, well washed and sliced
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon raisins
Sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons soft butter

Place the leeks, water and raisins in a saucepan; cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Season with salt. Mix flour and butter together and gradually whisk into the leeks. Heat, stirring, until mixture thickens. Serves four.

Dine and Die on the Danube Express: a Gourmet Detective mystery by Peter King

In ten words or less: Famous actress goes missing but it's her understudy that's murdered.

Review: The Gourmet Detective takes a ride on the twenty-fifth anniversary journey of the legendary train, the Danube Express. The accommodations are sumptuous, and the scenery spectacular, as the train winds through Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Romania.
Magda Malescu, a celebrated actress and one of the passengers, is missing, and a European tabloid's headlines announce that she has been murdered. Malescu turns up unharmed, but her understudy is discovered dead in her compartment, apparently poisoned. Who wants to kill the understudy, or is it a case of mistaken identity?
The train's security personnel request assistance from the Gourmet Detective, who on occasion has helped Scotland Yard with a case.
Why bother? While questioning the other passengers, the Gourmet Detective partakes in lovingly described meals of epic proportions. It's a wonder all the passengers weren't indisposed with heartburn for the entire trip. This series has the same appeal as Margaret Truman's books--for readers who enjoy a travelogue along with their mystery.

Dancing in the Dark: a Toby Peters Mystery by Stuart Kaminsky
In ten words or less: Mobster threatens Fred Astaire; Toby Peters investigates and dances.

Review: Mobster "Fingers" Intaglia has a girlfriend who wants to be a dancer. The problem is that the girlfriend, Luna Martin, has two left feet and no sense of rhythm. Even lessons with Fred Astaire have proven useless.
Astaire wants out of the arrangement but Fingers won't have it. If Astaire wants to be able to dance another day, he'll teach Luna to dance the two-step. Astaire hires Toby Peters to get Fingers to see the light.

Why bother? Kaminsky's Toby Peters is a charming, if rough around the edges, private eye. The reader can just imagine the sloppy detective teaming up with the dapper dancer. Great fun!

Saturday at the Farmer's Market

Apples are here, and who said they're just for dessert? This is a good side dish with chicken or turkey.

Carrots 'n Apples

3 cups sliced unpeeled tart apples
3 cups sliced carrots, cooked
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cold margarine or butter
3/4 cup orange juice

Grease a 2 quart casserole dish and layer half the apples, then half the carrots. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly; sprinkle half over casserole. Repeat layers. Pour orange juice over all. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes six servings.

Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman

In ten words or less: Couple is killed in crash after their wedding; families grieve.

Review: The death of a newlywed couple brings about changes in both their families as they cope with the tragic event.
Becca Copaken is the daughter of two New York professors who summer in Red Hook, Maine, where John Tetherly was raised by his cleaning lady mother. Becca's mother Iris planned the perfect wedding, right down to the masses of lupines in the church. And when Becca and John were running late to the reception, everyone thought it was because the photographer had to take just one more shot.
But their limo was hit head-on by another vehicle on a twisting rural road, and on the day their families expected to be celebrating a wedding, they were identifying bodies and planning funerals.

Why bother? Not a part of Waldman's popular mystery series, this novel would appeal to readers of Elizabeth Berg and Jacqueline Mitchard.

An Unopened Grave: Sherlock Holmes investigates his ultimate case by L. Frank James

In ten words or less: Sherlock Holmes meets Jesus and becomes a believer.

Review: The famous detective has retired, but takes on a missing persons case on behalf of Miss Elizabeth Hackberry, a devout Christian. While he investigates, his life is saved in a miraculous manner, and Holmes sets out to discover whether in fact, God died to save his life.
Holmes enlists the aid of Dr. Watson to steal a time machine, and the pair travel to the year 30AD, and meet Jesus Christ. After rescuing Watson from a local jail, Holmes uses his powers of deduction to prove Christ's resurrection.

Why bother? If you are interested in the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and Jesus Christ, you might be able to overlook the anachronisms in this tale.

Saturday at the Farmers' market

It's raining today at the market--not a great way to shop for vegetables. But football season is starting, and here's a great way to prepare veggies on a grill for a tailgate party.

Tailgater Vegetables

1 small cabbage, cored and cut into six wedges
2 tablespoons soft butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, cut into 6 wedges
1/2 pound whole fresh mushrooms
1 small green pepper, cut into pieces

Spread butter on the sides of the cabbage wedges. Place cabbage on a piece of heavy duty foil (about 24 in. by 18 in.). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange the rest of the vegetables around the cabbage. Seal the foil and grill, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes or until vegetables are done, turning occasionally. Serves six.

Scam by Parnell Hall

In ten words or less: Hastings gains a client and is accused of three murders.

Review: Private eye jobs are few and far between for detective Stanley Hastings. He's tried acting and screenwriting with no great success, and most of his jobs are for an attorney, documenting personal injury cases.
When he does get a real client walking through the door, Hastings is eager to get to the bottom of the case. The client, Cranston Pritchert, is a partner is an investment firm that is in the middle of a struggle for board chairman. Pritchert thinks that someone is setting him up to take a fall, to get him out of the way of an ambitious partner. But which partner?
Before he is done investigating, Hastings finds himself accused of three murders and no closer to discovering who set up his client.
Why bother? A traditional soft-boiled private eye novel--fans of Simon Brett, Robert Barnard, and Stuart Kaminsky's Toby Peters series should give Hall's series a try.

Murder Plays House by Ayelet Waldman

In ten words or less: Finding a body in the house doesn't deter Juliet's interest.

Review: Former public defender Juliet Applebaum is pregnant with her third child. Husband Peter works at home as a screenwriter and their house is getting just a bit too snug for their growing family. Juliet calls up her friend Kat, a Realtor, and makes an appointment to go house hunting.
The houses are disappointing, but Kat takes Juliet to a house that isn't quite on the market yet. It's probably out of my price range, thinks, Juliet, but I love the house. That is, until they discover the naked body of a skeletally thin unsuccessful actress in the bathtub.
Hoping that the owner will let her make an offer on the house, Juliet investigates the murder. She feels like a hugely pregnant whale, next to the actresses who are painfully yet have enormous breast implants.

Why bother? The attitudes of body images of girls and young women are central to the mystery. Juliet is horrified that her six year old daughter wants to diet, but all around her are anorexic women trying for careers in the entertainment industry. Waldman ties the body image issues together with the mystery in seamless fashion.

Saturday at the Farmers' Market

It's the end of summer and lots of tomatoes were on display, all kinds, all sizes. For 99 cents a pound, how can you go wrong?

End of the Summer Gazpacho

4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped and seeded (I don't bother to seed mine)
2 cucumbers, peeled chopped and seeded
1 large green pepper, chopped and seeded
10-12 green onions, chopped, including green part
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups V-8 juice
1-1 1/2 cups water
Tabasco
Worcestershire sauce
Coarsely ground pepper

Beat vinegar and oil with garlic. Combine with chopped vegetables and stir in the V-8 juice. Add water to desired consistency. Season with Tabasco, Worcestershire, pepper. Chill. Serve with thinly sliced cucumbers as garnish. Makes 4-6 servings.

Twitterature by Alexander Aciman and Emmett Rensin

In ten words or less: Literary classics tweeted: WTF?

Review: A pair of college sophomores rework "literary classics for twenty-first-century intellect, in digestible portions of 20 tweets or fewer."
"The Aeneid" by Virgil lead off with "Got a gift of a huge wooden horse today, here in Troy. Just appeared outside the city gate. BTW: war going poorly."
It's one joke, stretched thin over 200 pages. Most of the tweets focus on sex, drugs, or scatological humor. When did "The Da Vinci Code," Harry Potter," and "Twilight" become literary classics? Maybe if you're twenty.

Why bother? Don't.

Pepperoni Pizza can be Murder: a pizza lover's mystery by Chris Cavender In ten words or less: Body in the pizza parlor spells trouble for Eleanor.

Review: Eleanor Swift runs a pizza parlor with her sister in a small North Carolina town. When a body is found bludgeoned to death with a rolling pin in their restaurant, their deliveryman Greg Hatcher is suspected. The victim is his brother Wade, and they've been fighting over money and a woman. Things are looking bad for Greg, but Eleanor believes in his innocence.
Greg hides out from the sheriff, Eleanor's high school sweetheart, while the two sisters investigate. This is the second in a series.

Why bother? Readers who enjoy a cozy mystery featuring a woman on her own struggling to keep a business afloat should give this series a try. Authors of similar series are Claudia Bishop, Joanne Fluke, and Sheila Connolly.

August's Books

The "I Hate to Cook Book: updated and revised" by Peg Bracken was originally published in 1960. This is the new fiftieth anniversary edition of her classic cookbook. I still have my copy of the original, bought sometime in the early 1970s, yellowed and stained and well-used. Even if I'm not planning to make one of the recipes, I still read through it just to appreciate Bracken's humor. Time to replace the original, perhaps?

The Withdrawing Room by Charlotte MacLeod
Movie by Parnell Hall
Insider's Guide to Nashville by Jackie Finch
The Odd Job by Charlotte MacLeod
Off the Beaten Path: Tennessee by Tim O'Brien
The Balloon Man by Charlotte MacLeod
Summer Lightning by P.G. Wodehouse
Chili con Corpses by J.B. Stanley
Murder Plays House by Ayelet Waldman
Twitterature: the world's greatest books in twenty tweets or less by Alexander Aciman
The Scoop from Bird Poop: 35 years of wild bird rescues by Bebe McCasland
Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
Eiffel's Tower: and the world's fair from where Buffalo Bill beguiled Paris, the artists quarreled, and Thomas Edison became a count by Jill Jonnes
I Hate to Cook Book by Peg Bracken
Pepperoni Pizza can be Murder by Chris Cavender
Dane County Farmers Market: a personal history by Mary Carpenter

The Balloon Man by Charlotte MacLeod

In ten words or less: Body found beneath hot air balloon; Max and Sarah investigate.

Review: Sarah Kelling Bittersohn is planning a huge wedding for her husband's nephew at their North Shore estate. The wedding goes off without a hitch--except for the hot air balloon landing on the caterer's tent, and the squashed corpse found beneath it.

The balloon belongs to the neighbors across the road, and nobody knows who the corpse was. When the long lost--and extremely valuable--Kelling rubies appear during the wedding, Max Bittersohn leaves to investigate, but doesn't return.

Why bother? When Max disappears, it's up to Sarah to recruit family members to search for him, and to identify the body found on their lawn. More action than usual in a MacLeod mystery, but still delightful, as both the Kelling and Bittersohn families united to save one of their own.

The Odd Job by Charlotte MacLeod

In ten words or less: Museum director/forger murdered; security guard is arrested. Sarah investigates.

Review: When the director of the Wilkins Museum is found murdered, stabbed to death with an antique hatpin, Sarah Kelling Bittersohn is shocked. And when the murder weapon is found in the Bittersohn's office and an obituary announcing Sarah's death appears in the Boston Globe, it's time to investigate.
The museum has been involved in a scandal years before, when it was discovered that many of its paintings were forgeries. The new head trustee has accused Sarah's husband Max of falling down on the job of recovering the museum's stolen art and has accused a mild-mannered security guard of the murder.

Why bother? Sarah Kelling Bittersohn and her far-flung family of eccentric Boston bluebloods take on the world of art forgeries. Sarah and Max give Nick and Nora Charles a run for their money.

Saturday at the Farmers' Market

It's been a good year for cucumbers here. Here's a slightly different version of sweet and sour cucumber salad.

Cool Hand Cukes

Ingredients:
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups water
2 cucumbers, sliced thinly

Instructions:
Combine lime juice, sugar, oil and water in sauce pan; heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cukes; marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Six servings.

Nobody Runs Forever by Richard Stark

In ten words or less: Parker and pals plot to steal an armored car.

Review: A bank in rural Massachusetts is transferring assets via four armored cars. Parker is told about the job by a former security guard who had an affair with the bank manager's wife. Any number of people can throw a wrench into the works--an unscrupulous, cheating doctor; a bounty hunter and his good-looking blonde partner; and the security guard's law abiding sister.

The efficient and ruthless Parker keeps one step ahead of the law in another page-turning adventure from author Stark, also known as Donald Westlake.
Why bother? Nobody writes a caper novel like Stark/Westlake. Parker is not a likeable protagonist but fans of modern noir will savor each adventure of the efficient career criminal.

The Anteater of Death: a Gunn Zoo Mystery by Betty Webb

In ten words or less: Who killed the zoo volunteer? Not the giant anteater!

Review: Did Lucy, the giant pregnant anteater from Belize, kill the man who was found in her pen? When a bullet was discovered to be the cause of death, Lucy is off the hook, but a spiteful zoo director keeps her confined and off-exhibit.

Teddy Bentley, daughter of a socialite beauty queen and a fugitive embezzler, is the zookeeper who feeds and cleans up after Lucy, and can tell that the prospective mother is stressed out by her house arrest. She wants the head zookeeper Zorah to intercede on Lucy's behalf, but when Zorah is arrested for the murder, Teddy posts her bail.

Sheriff Joe Rejas, Teddy's high school sweetheart, wants her to question the society movers and shakers who were present at the fundraiser where the victim was killed. Teddy resists at first, but is drawn into the investigation.
Why bother? The zoo is a fun setting for a mystery, and Teddy shares the spotlight with giraffes, monkeys, and spectacled bears. Readers of Donna Andrews will enjoy this series.

The Scoop from "Bird Poop;" 35 years of wild bird rescues by Bebe McCasland

In ten words or less: True stories of wild bird rescues.

Review: When called to investigate the cries of a hawk in distress, wildlife rehabilitator Bebe McCasland discovered a Swainson's hawk chained to the ground in a weedy lot. Every one of the bird's talons had been cut off, leaving it unable to catch anything with its feet, or to roost--because it could not grip a limb. Covered with an oily substance, the bird was weak and thin.

After being rescued, the bird was examined and it was determined that the talons would eventually grow out, although they would be uneven and not tapered as they should be. The bird could never be released in the wild, but would be used as an educational bird.

McCasland has dozens of stories about vultures, hawks, owls, and other birds, told in an engaging and straightforward style. Not all the rescues have happy endings but they make the reader aware of all the perils that can befall birds--contaminants, trucks, weather, and the encroachment of humans upon bird habitats.

Why bother? This collection of columns, with wonderful illustrations by Don Collins, will appeal to bird lovers and others interested in nature and animals.

Saturday at the Farmers' Market

Yellow and green beans are still available at the local market. Here's a recipe that makes a great dish to take to a pot luck or picnic. In the winter, canned green and wax beans can be used.

Tres Bean Salad

1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
1/2 pound fresh wax beans, likewise
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
1/4 cup green or red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup Splenda or sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup vinegar

Microwave or steam the fresh beans until crisp-tender; three minutes ought to do it. Mix everything together and refrigerate overnight. This keeps well for days. Makes six servings.

Chili Con Corpses by J.B. Stanley

In ten words or less: Rich, gorgeous twin is murdered; did killer want her or her sister?

Review: James Henry's life was sputtering like a car running out of gas. He had traded his professorship for a job as a small town library director. Approaching forty, he still shared a house with his cantankerous father. Lucy, his girlfriend, was busy getting in shape for a sheriff's exam, and was spending more time with her buff workout partner than with James.

When drop-dead gorgeous twins moves to town, both the men and women of James' circle of friends take notice. The twins join the friends at a weekly cooking class where James--who should be dieting--takes a night off from healthy foods.

James' friend Lindy begs him to chaperone a class trip to nearby caves, but they never dream that one of the twins would be discovered murdered in the cave. And when one of the parents on the trip proves to be an imposter, James, Lindy, and the rest of the group investigate.

Why bother? In a departure from most cozies, the main character is a man. The cast of characters can get confusing, with a large group of friends with gender-neutral names --Bennett, Parker, Kinsley, Murphy, etc. But if you like mysteries with lots of talk about food (and recipes, of course), try the Supper Club Mystery series.

The Palace Guard by Charlotte MacLeod

In ten words or less: a forgery-stuffed museum is the scene of a murder.

Review: Attractive young widow Sarah Kelling accepts the invitation of Max Bittersohn, an investigator of art thefts, to a concert at the palatial Wilkins Museum. Sarah feels guilty for being drawn to her handsome escort, but the mood is shattered when one of the security guards falls to his death off a balcony into the courtyard. An investigation into the crime reveals that most of the art in the collection is forged--and very good forgeries they are, too.

Sarah and her family of eccentric Boston bluebloods join Max and the police to discover the identity of the killer and the forger.

Why bother? MacLeod has more wildly funny characters in her mysteries than clams in a bowl of chowder. The perfect gentle read for those who appreciate wordplay and the unexpected.

A Stranger in the Family by Robert Barnard

In ten words or less: Abducted as a child, Kit Philipson meets his birth family.

Review: Kit Philipson, raised by loving parents in Scotland, discovers before his mother's death that he was abducted from his birth family when he was three years old. Frank and Isla Novello had been vacationing in Italy with their children when young Kit (then named Peter) was snatched. There were no ransom demands, no investigation by the British police, and little publicity. His reunion with his birth family is tepid, at best.

What really happened, he wonders, and starts his own investigation--interviewing old family friends, police, and reading the scant newspaper coverage of the event.

A departure from Barnard's usual witty murder mysteries.

Why bother? The definition of a page turner! Barnard bucks the trend of massive 400-500 page dictionary-size novels, and delivers a tale of suspense in 250 pages. Nothing is as it seems, and Barnard takes readers deftly through twists and turns to a satisfying conclusion.

July's books

The first in a new series, Glazed Murder by Jessica Beck, features Suzanne Hart, a newly divorced woman who buys a donut shop in April Springs, North Carolina. One morning in the early hours before dawn, when she arrives at the shop to start mixing her donuts, a body is dumped outside her store.

Now that her shop is a crime scene, is her business going to fair before it has a chance to suceed? The police investigation is heading in the wrong direction, so Suzanne feels compelled to do her own snooping.

Sizzling sixteen by Janet Evanovich
The last Sherlock Holmes story by Michael Didbin
Sherlock Holmes and the King's evil by Donald Thomas
Baker Street letters by Michael Robertson
Dust and shadow by Lindsay Faye
The patient's eyes by David Pirie
The final solution by Michael Chabon
Wild ride by Jennifer Crusie
The Cinderella deal by Jennifer Crusie
An unopened grave by L. Frank James
Sherlock Holmes for dummies by Steven Doyle
God of the hive by Laurie R. King
As husbands go by Susan Isaacs
Glazed murder by Jessica Beck
Crazy busy beautiful by Carmindy
Breakout by Richard Stark
Cozy by Parnell Hall
Nobody runs forever by Richard Stark
Abby Cooper, psychic eye by Victoria Laurie
The improbable adventures of Sherlock Holmes by various authors

Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

In ten words or less: Demons inhabit Ohio amusement park; everyone's family has dark secrets.

Review: Mary Alice Brannigan is restoring an amusement park in Ohio, but little does she know that it's a prison for the five most powerful demons in history. Strange things keep happening, though--the giant clown statue is found across the park, destroyed; furtive strangers appear at the ice cream parlor every day; and some of the park's old-time employees are discovered dead.

While there is the usual quotient of humor in this novel, the romance takes a back seat to the demon battling. And a dizzying cast of demons there is--big dragon demons, demons trapped in a fortune telling booth, and little demons that can be trapped in Tupperware containers.

Why bother? There's less romance here than we've come to expect from Jennifer Crusie, but there's plenty of fun, and mind-boggling demons of every size and shape. Readers who like a little romance with the supernatural will be please, but those with a phobia of giant, possessed clowns should take a pass.

The Gladstone bag: a Sarah Kelling mystery by Charlotte MacLeod

In ten words or less: Artists seek buried treasure on island; body found on shore.

Review: When Emma Kelling's friend asks her to play hostess to a group of guests at a summer home on remote Pocapuk Island, Emma hastily agrees. Her son Walter and his yodeling wife and children are planning to visit Emma, and there's only so much yodeling a doting mother can stand.

The artists and writers invited to the island are strangers to Emma, and evens turn even stranger when she is drugged on the ferry, and her bag of costume jewelry goes temporarily missing.

A light, fun, old-fashioned cozy, of the kind that is getting hard to find these days.

Why bother? It's not chick lit; it's not a thriller; just an entertaining mystery a la Agatha Christie.

Farm Fresh Murder by Paige Shelton

In ten words or less: Becca cans preserves and investigates murder at the farmers' market.

Review: After inheriting a farm from her aunt and uncle, thirty-something Becca grows fruit and sells preserves at the farmers' market her twin sister manages. When the body of crotchety fower seller Abner is discovered, the suspects are many. Was it over a land dispute or a long-ago teenage romance?

Why bother? Readers who enjoy cozies, like those of Claudia Bishop and Laura Childs, will like this mystery. First in a new series; recipes included, of course.

June's Books

In Richard Stark's "Ask the Parrot," Parker, scrabbling through rural Massachusetts after a botched robbery, has police and their dogs tracking him. Tom Lindahl, a local recluse who's been nursing a grudge, agrees to help Parker hide out, but only if he'll help him with a robbery he's been plotting.

Lindahl used to work at a racetrack, but lost his job when he blew the whistle on his employer's criminal activities. He's been plotting his revenge ever since, spurning his neighbors' company, with a sullen parrot as his only company.

Suspicious locals dog Parker's every move, while the reader wonders whether Lindahl will turn Parker in for the reward money. Or will Parker rob the racetrack, and doublecross Lindahl? Is there honor among thieves?

Stark, a pen name of mystery Grand Master Donald Westlake, keeps the suspense and action rolling along. It's only been six months since his death, but knowing there'll be no more Westlake/Stark mysteries to anticipate makes the world just a little less interesting.

Thunder keeper by Margaret Coel
Star spangled murder by Leslie Meier
Only the super-rich can save us by Ralph Nader
Ask the parrot by Richard Stark
Irreverent guide to Manhattan by Ethan Wolff
Farm fresh murder by Paige Shelton
Stranger in the country by Robert Barnard
The girl who kicked the hornet's nest by Stieg Larsson
Compromising positions by Susan Isaacs
Frommer's New York City by Brian Silverman
Let's go: New York City by Carl Hughes, ed.
Bodies left behind by Jeffrey Deaver
Something in the water by Charlotte MacLeod
Seven year switch by Claire Cook

May's Books

In "Town in a blueberry jam," Candy Holliday manages a blueberry farm with her father, a retired professor. When the local ladies' man and the newly crowned blueberry queen are murdered, Candy investigates to clear the local handyman of the charges. It makes you crave a slice of blueberry pie!

Stress fracture by D.P. Lyle
An owl too many by Charlotte MacLeod
Complete idiot's guide to self-sufficient living by Jerome Belanger
Get positively beautiful by Carmindy
Glycemic load diet cookbook by Rob Thompson
This body of death by Elizabeth George
Five minute face by Carmindy
Open season by Archer Mayor
Town in a blueberry jam by B. Haywood
Shadow dancer by Margaret Coel
Tome of death by Dr.R. Meredith
Scat by Carl Hiaasen
Death by pantyhose by Laura Levine
Fever dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
The black cat by Martha Grimes

The Black Cat by Martha Grimes

In ten words or less: Designer-clad young women are murdered--who are they?

Review: Richard Jury has been sent to Chesham to help the local force with their investigation into the murder of a beautiful young woman found outside the local pub, the Black Cat. Beautifully dressed in expensive designer clothes and shoes, she seems familiar to the town residents, but no one can identify her.
When a second exquisitely clad young woman is murdered in London--and then a third--Jury is frustrated that no connection can be made between them.
Meanwhile, Melrose Plant is approached by a ten year old girl who claims her cat, Morris, the pub cat, has been kidnapped or murdered. Morris witnessed the murder of the beautiful woman in Chesham. Was the cat kidnapped because it knew too much?
Some chapters are told from the point of view of the animals, which is a bit too cute for me, and seems at odds with the previous books in this series. But the book was dedicated to Grimes' own black cat, who died. As the owner of an elderly black cat, I'll give her a pass this time.
I always look forward to a new Jury mystery, and "The Black Cat" did not disappoint.

Why bother? The twenty-second book in a series that has been consistently entertaining.There are enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages far into the night.

Fever dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

In ten words or less: Pendergast's wife was murdered; he and D'Agosta track the killer.

Review: FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast's wife Helen died in an accident in Africa twelve years ago. An excellent shot, Helen missed an attacking lion, and was mauled by the beast.
Accidently he discovers that her gun had been tampered with. Pendergast asks NYPD Detective Vincent D'Agosta to accompany him to Africa to track down Helen's murder. Their investigation takes them to the Pendergast family plantation in Louisiana and to Mississippi and Florida.
Just who is this woman I married, Pendergast begins to wonder. The enigmatic FBI Agent's personal life is laid bare in this action-packed adventure. Many of the past adventures have featured supernatural elements, but "Fever Dream" is a straight forward thriller, one of the strongest entries in the series yet. It's hard to imagine how the authors will top this.

Why bother? The mysterious Pendergast's past and personal history is revealed--or at least part of it is. Fans of the series will savor the latest from Preston and Child.

April's Books

In Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay, Two best friends, melanie and Angie, own a cupcake bakery. When their good friend Tate becomes engages to a woman they can't stand, they grin and bear it and offer to make cupcakes for the wedding. When the fiance is found dead with a cupcake clutched in her hand, the girls become murder suspects. First in a new series.

The cruelest month by Louise Penny
Rotten to the core by Sheila Connelly
Montana man by Barbara Delinsky
Matter of motive by Michael Hachey
125 best vegetarian slow cooker recipes by Judith Finlayson
Sprinkle with murder by Jenn McKinlay
Murder over easy by Jimmie Sue Evans
Story teller by Margaret Coel
Brutal telling by Louise Penny
Backroads and byways of Wisconsin by Kevin Revolinski
Comics in Wisconsin by Paul Buhle
Miss Julia renews her vows by Ann B. Ross

STALKING THE WILD ASPARAGUS

Spring came early to the frozen tundra this year. The first asparagus is appearing, and here's a great recipe to welcome the new season.


Cream of Asparagus Soup

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large potato, thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk or soy milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried tarragon

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth or water to a boil.
Add the asparagus, onion, and celery, then reduce the heat and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
Pour the mixture into a food processor along with the flour and puree until smooth. (If you don't have a food processor, use an immersible blender. Your soup will be a little chunkier, but I like it that way).
Return the soup to the saucepan, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer until the soup begins to thicken and is heated through.
Serve immediately.
Makes six servings.

BOOKS I READ IN MARCH

In Tim Dorsey's "Nuclear jellyfish," madcap psychopath Serge Storms wants to be THE travel authority on Florida. After all, who knows more about the history of the state? Serge and his ever-toking sidekick Coleman seek out justice for those who have been ripped off by cheap motels, con artists, and thugs. Serge's brand of justice includes items found at Home Depot and lots of duct tape. You'll laugh out loud, and never look at a garden hose the same way.

Polk: the man who transformed the presidency and America by Walter Borneman
Thereby hangs a tail by Spencer Quinn
Betty Crocker easy everyday vegetarian: meatless main dishes you'll love
Miss Zukas and the raven's dance by Jo Dereske
Breathtaker by Alice Blanchard
Which big giver stole the chopped liver? by Sharon Kahn
Killer market by Margaret Maron
Bell, book and scandal by Jill Churchill
Nuclear jellyfish by Tim Dorsey
The spirit woman by Margaret Coel
Miss Julia strikes back by Ann B. Ross
One last good-bye by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Trouble of fools by Linda Barnes
Clubbed to death by Elaine Viets

BOOK REVIEW

The Silver Ghost by Charlotte MacLeod

In ten words or less: Which eccentric relative or friend committed murder at Renaissance Revel?

Review: Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn attend the Renaissance Revel of Sarah's family friends, Bill and Abigail Billingsgate. During the festivities, one of the Billingsgate's employees is killed, and Sarah's Aunt Appie goes missing. The Billingsgate's valuable antique cars have been going missing, and Sarah and Max investigate. The local police are incompetent, and the couple must interview the eccentric collection of Kelling relatives in attendance.

Why bother? MacLeod's description of the Revel alone is worth reading the book. Who knew Morris dancing could be so funny? Sarah and Max are a pair of level headed thinkers among the assortment of odd ducks that are Sarah's old monied family.

BOOK REVIEW

Killer Insight by Victoria Laurie

In ten words or less: Professional psychic investigates missing bridesmaids; sulks over breakup with boyfriend.

Review: Abby Cooper is a psychic who has just broken up with her FBI agent boyfriend. Why didn't she see that coming? But a good friend is getting married in Colorado, and when Abby travels to the wedding, she gets seriously bad vibes when she looks at a photo of one of the other bridesmaids. And when the bridesmaid goes missing, Abby teams up with hunky Duffy McGinnis, the bride's brother and now sheriff to try to track down the woman. Chick lit meets mystery in this Psychic Eye series.

Why bother? For someone who is psychic, you think Abby would have been feeling some vibes from the ex-boyfriend. She also misreads clues and stumbles into dangerous situations. Still, an overall better-than-average amateur detective novel.

BOOK REVIEW

Blue Wolf in Green Fire by Joseph Heywood

In ten words or less: Conservation officer discovers a government cover-up when scientists are killed.

Review: Grady Service, a Vietnam vet, is a conservation officer in Michigan's Upper Peninsula investigating a deadly fire that killed two scientists. Animal rights activists are blamed, but Grady has his doubts, especially when the FBI and the governor get involved. Grady has just received a promotion that takes him out of his beloved Mosquito Wilderness and away from his much younger girlfriend and fellow conservation officer Maridly.

At the same time, poachers have been targeting bears for their gall bladders and deer with price specimen antlers, and now set their sites on the rare blue wolf that escaped from the secret scientific laboratory. Grady manages to untangle the mass of government lies, petty political grudges, and greed to bring the guilty to justice.

Why bother? Although Heywood's female characters are stereotypes with little individuality, his description of Michigan's Upper Peninsula is spot-on. Readers who enjoy mysteries with a hefty dose of nature and wildlife might like to try this series. Fans of Nevada Barr, Dana Stabenow, C.J. Box, and Steve Hamilton should add this author to their list.

February's Books

This pen for hire by Laura Levine
Jaine Austen owns a freelance writing business, and geeky Howard Murdoch hires her to write a love letter to luscious Stacey Lawrence, a fitness instructor. Though Howard has never met the object of his desire, he is the leading suspect when she is discovered bludgeoned to death with a Thighmaster. Author Levine is a former TV sitcom writer, and no laugh track is needed here. Nonstop fun for the reader, and--even better--it's the first book in a series of eight.

Taste of Home's garden-fresh recipes
Shoes to die for by Laura Levine
Cut and dry by Jo Dereske
Lineup: the world's greatest crime edited by Otto Penzler
Quilting for peace by Katherine Bell
Oh Joe by Michael Z. Levin
Unsafe harbor by Jessica Speart
To thine own self be true by Judy Clemens
Blue wolf in green fire by Joseph Heywood
Death in a prairie house by William Drennan
The long walk by Slavomir Rawicz
Carrot cake murder by Joanne Fluke
Murder on the mind by L.L. Bartlett

BOOK REVIEW

Bride and doom: an Iris House B & B mystery by Jean Hager

In ten words or less: Who killed the chef at the country club?

Review: Matrimony or murder? Wedding bells will soon be tolling for Tess Darcy, who is finally to tie the knot with longtime love Luke Fredrick. To celebrate the much anticipated occaston, Tess's Aunt Dahlia and Cousin Cinny are hosting a bridal shower at the Victoria Springs Country Club, the sacred domain of Julian Walker, superchef extraordinaire, who is as thoroughly despised as his culinary masterpieces are adored. So it is not a complete surprise when the dictatorial kitchen artiste is murdered; the real shock is when Iris House cook Gertie Bogart is fingered as the prime suspect.

Why bother? Mix an upcoming wedding, an arrogant chef, and murder for a classic cozy recipe.

January 2010 Books

Vi Agra Falls by Mary Daheim

What could be worse than having your husband's ex-wife move into your neighborhood? Judith Flynn is trying to run a relaxing bed and breakfast when Vivian and her new, much younger husband buy a house on the quiet cul-de-sac. is Billy Buss her fifth or sixth husband? Who's keeping track?
Vivian and her toy boy throw a huge, noisy party that attracts the cops and the ire of the neighborhood. But the morning after, during a massive cleanup, a body is found hanging in Vivian's back yard.
Judith's husband Joe, a retired cop, wants her to steer clear of the police investigation. But she's losing business and her sleep. Of course, she'll find the killer.
A solid entry in Daheim's long running series.


Nine dragons by Michael Connelly
Our Wisconsin River by Nels Akerlund
Complete book of underground houses by Rob Roy
Murder can wreck your reunion by Selma Eichler
Uncommon grounds by Sandra Balzo
Storey's guide to raising llamas by Gale Birutta
Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms by Paul Stamets
Bubbles betrothed by Sarah Strohmeyer
Cherry blossom corpse by Robert Barnard
Fatal grace by Louise Penny
Whisper to the living by Stuart Kaminsky
Case of the tough talking turkey by Claudia Bishop
Write away by Elizabeth George
Savage cut by Jo Dereske
Three can keep a secret by Judy Clemens
Conventional corpse by Joan Hess
Bookmarked for death by Lorna Barrett
Welsh rabbit by Douglas Carstens
Impact by Douglas Preston
Vi Agra Falls by Mary Daheim
Death of a valentine by M.C. Beaton
Think fast, Mr. Peters by Stuart Kaminsky
Merry wives of Maggody by Joan Hess
Agatha Raisin and the case of the curious curate by M.C. Beaton

Death of a Valentine by M.C. Beaton

Hamish MacBeth has been assigned an assistant, but he wasn't expecting the pretty, outgoing Josie McSween. Josie is more interested in becoming Mrs. MacBeth than in investigating the murder of a local beauty queen. The beauty queen--all agreed she was a lovely, kind girl with no faults--is discovered to be a manipulative, vindictive troublemaker.

In the previous MacBeth adventures, Hamish is pursued by attractive females but they never get him to the altar. He solves the crime while enraging his superiors. This one is no different, but it's a fun, light read, just right for a cold winter's night.

My top ten books of 2009

Looking over the titles of the books I read in 2009, I can't give myself high marks for literary taste or a quest for knowledge. At least half the books I read were mysteries--that's somewhere between 100 and 200 volumes. But there were some great mysteries, and some wonderful authors I had never read before. I'll have to check my list for the exact numbers of books read last year. Here are some of my favorites.

Winter and night by S.J. Rozan
This was the year I discovered Rozan's Lydia Chin and Bill Smith series. I read 'em all, and can't wait for the next one to appear. Books with finely drawn characters and complicated relationships appeal to me, as does the New York Chinatown setting.

Road dogs by Elmore Leonard
In this follow up to "Out of Sight," Leonard unites bank robber Jack Foley with criminal Cundo Rey and part-time psychic Dawn Navarro, characters from other books. Lots of over-the-top laughs.

What it is by Lynda Barry
A book that almost defies description. Barry has combined a memoir of her unhappy childhood with a guidebook to help stimulate the creative process. A visual treat.

Rule against murder by Louise Penny
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his wife are on their summer holiday when murder strikes, and of course, Gamache must oversee the investigation. The Quebec countryside is a wonderful setting for a mystery, and Gamache is a thoughtful, compassionate detective.

Driftless by David Rhodes
A reviewer called this novel "pleasantly overstuffed." It gives a glimpse into the lives of folks in the small town of Words, Wisconsin, and how those lives intersect and affect each other. It's Rhodes first book in thirty years, since being paralyzed in a motorcycle accident.
500 things to eat before it's too late by Jane and Michael Stern
The Sterns take on regional specialties in this guide to locally favorite foods that are fast disappearing, probably because they are laden with fats, sugars, and other unhealthy things. Be sure to check out your favorites---mmmm, frozen custard, bratwurst, and cheese curds.

Wreck of the Carl D. by Michael Schumacher
It's difficult to write a compelling story when the outcome is already known, but the author does a masterful job. Not as exciting as his earlier "Mighty Fitz," but a whopping good story of a shipwreck on Lake Michigan that had tragic results.

Dog on it by Spencer Quinn
Police dog washout Chet teams with human partner Bernie to find a missing teenager. Chet narrates, but doesn't talk, so this mystery doesn't suffer from cute animal syndrome. Ever wonder about what a dog is thinking?

Til the cows come home by Judy Clemens
Stella Crown is a young woman who runs a dairy farm with the help of a hired man. Tattooed and riding a Harley, she's not what you'd expect in the heart of Mennonite country. A mysterious illness is affecting local children, and someone is pointing the finger at Stella's cows.

Beat the reaper by Josh Bazell
This first novel is violent and funny, and not for everyone. A Mafia hitman is sent into the witness protection program as a medical intern and a former associate recognizes him and threatens to rat him out. Fans of "Dexter" would like this book.

THREE CAN KEEP A SECRET by Judy Clemens

Dairy farmer and biker Stella Crown is exhausted running her farm by herself, after the death of her long time farm hand. When Lucy Lapp, a young Mennonite widow with a daughter, applies for the job, Stella is relieved. She checks Lucy's references, and has a good feeling about her. She certainly knows her way about a dairy barn.

But Stella's house is vandalized with graffiti directed against Lucy, and there are anonymous calls hinting about suspicious circumstances around her husband's death. Plenty of suspicious characters and pinger pointing to go around. The second book in this series does not disappoint.

ROBERT B. PARKER

Robert B. Parker, author of the wisecracking Boston private detective Spenser series, died this week. He wrote dozens of books, mostly mysteries featuring the hard-as-nails but quick witted Spenser, but also penned series with small town cop Jesse Stone and private investigator Sunny Randall. A fan of westerns, he has a new title coming out this year. You could always count on a Parker novel for snappy dialog and characters that felt real.

DECEMBER'S BOOKS

Professional by Robert B. Parker
Bullet for a star by Stuart Kaminsky
Rule against murder by Louise Penny
Still life by Louise Penny
New tricks by David Rosenfelt
Champlain's dream by David Fischer
Hollywood moon by Joseph Wambaugh
Pride prejudice and zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Big little life: a memoir of a joyful dog by Dean Koontz
Murder she wrote: coffee tea or murder by Donald Bain

NOVEMBER'S BOOKS

Murder can depress your dachshund by Selma Eichler
Donovan and son by Michael Jahn
A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer
Girl who played with fire by Stieg Larsson
Dead of winter: CSI: NY by Stuart Kaminsky
Fete fatale by Robert Barnard
Bomb squad: a year inside by Richard Esposito
No plot no problem by Chris Baty
Sharing the harvest by Elizabeth Henderson
Money shot by Christa Faust
Plum pudding murder by Joanne Fluke
Cookie dough delight by Camilla Saulsbury
Taste of Home Christmas cookies and candy

OCTOBER'S BOOKS

The trouble with J.J. by Tami Hoag
Wash and die by Barbara Colley
Mildred Pierced by Stuart Kaminsky
Til the cows come home by Judy Clemens
Death of a cozt writer by G.M. Malliet
Museum of Natural History by Lyle Rexer
Bad bears go visiting by Daniel Pinkwater
Deluge: CSI: NY by Stuart Kaminsky
Miss Zukas and the library murders by Jo Dereske
Great Christmas cookie swap cookbook by Good Housekeeping
Marshall plan for novel writing by Evan Marshall
Marshall plan workbook: writing your novel by Evan Marshall
Blood on the sun: CSI: NY by Stuart Kaminsky
Marshall plan for getting your novel published by Evan Marshall
Brothers from Bataan by Adrian Martin
Marley and me by John Grogan