Nine Lives

Nine strangers receive a list with their names on it in the mail. Nothing else, just a list of names on a single sheet of paper. None of the nine people know or have ever met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke, until very, nad things begin happening to people on the list. First, a well-liked old man is drowned on a beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine. Then, a father is shot in the back while running through his quiet neighborhood in suburban Massachusetts. A frightening pattern is emerging, but what do these nine people have in common? Their professions range from oncology nurse to aspiring actor, and they’re located all over the country. So why are they all on the list, and who sent it? FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next.

Nine lives is a suspense thriller set in the modern era. Each chapter covers one of the nine characters on consecutive days. It's a clever whodunnit with a surprise ending. I was bewildered by the high body count though. Usually in a mystery I see, at the most, two people killed but here there are more. In the end it all makes sense. Don't be surprised if the plot sounds familiar. Nine Lives is based on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, her most well known mystery. The author used alot of narrative for Nine Lives but it was cut back as the story unfolded and for a good reason. The pacing automatically picked up after each character died because less narrative was needed.  The investigation of the deaths was not a big part of the novel. It more or less was character driven.

I enjoyed this mystery and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Cartographers

I did not know what to expect when I started reading this novel. Peng Shepherd is a new author for me but I was impressed with this story from the first chapter. It is a suspense thriller about art, science and history, a combination that I enjoy reading. 

The publisher's summary:

Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.

But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence . . . because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way.

But why?

To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps. The Cartographers is an ode to art and science, history and magic—a spectacularly imaginative, modern story about an ancient craft and places still undiscovered.

Reading this book was an amazing experience. I had that warm feeling you get when you finish a satisfying novel. Author Peng Shepherd dreamed up a creative plot and executed the writing skillfully. There is also plenty of of character development as well as information on creating maps. 

Seven college buddies travel to New York State after obtaining their Ph.D's in cartography. Their plans are something only the young can dream up: to create the most perfect atlas composed of maps of fantasy lands, such as you would find for the Chronicles of Narnia. The work begins well but as time passes the group dynamics fall apart. Two couples cheat on each other while an odd man out is doing research that he keeps secret from the group. Trust begins to dissipate and the group separates after a tragedy, with most of them staying in New York. All but one has their dream job. Daniel Young heads the map room at the New York Public Library. He and his daughter Nell carry the story. His classmates found similarly fantastic jobs but to summarize the rest of the story would give out spoilers. 

These seven characters communicated with each other as only childhood friends can. Their dialogue was realistic and the author primarily used it to advance the story. There was very little narrative. The exuberance the characters had for their studies made me remember my own college days and, frankly, I haven't been that idealistic since then. Real life always interrupts those feelings. These characters experienced highs and lows on a scale most of us have never experienced. While the story refers to the lows, it is the highs that caught my interest. They were working on a huge discovery for cartography and this is what excited me about the book.

The Cartographers is simply magnificent. 5 out of 5 stars.

Olympia

Olympia is the sequel to The Grand Odalisque. Characters Carole and Alex are childhood friends who are partners in art theft crimes. They have been working together for nine years. With just a few days having past after their theft of the famous painting The Grand Odalisque at the Louvre, they are hired by a mobster to steal an ancient mask. With that theft completed they are then given their next assignment: to steal three paintings. Edouard Manet's Olympia is one of them. It is located in the Petit Palace in Paris. With the help of their mutual friend Sam the ladies begin planning the heist. Of course, they encounter several complications including the fact the Carole is nine months pregnant. They use modern technology and common theft how-tos to carry off the assignment. The English version of this graphic novel was published on March 1, 2022 by Fantagraphics.

It was easy to get back into the story from February 2021's The Grand Odalisque. The reader doesn't really need to know anything special from the earlier novel in order to follow the story.  The ladies were shadowed by the mobster's hit man, Antonio, as they planned and executed the theft. It was amusing to see them sexually harass Antonio and get no response from him. They used the same phrases that men use when they harass women. The howdunit of the theft was enjoyable. There were enough twists and turns to satisfy the mystery reader but the artwork is what made the Parisian setting extraordinary. The architectural line drawings let you know where the setting was located. 

All in all, Olympia was a fun read. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Peach Blossom Spring

Peach Blossom Spring is a poignant family saga that begins in China in the 1930s. It is Melissa Fu's debut novel and I am impressed with her ability to write such a beautiful story. The novel is about Dao Meilin and her son Dao Renshu. Meilin's husband Xiaowen is killed during a battle with the invading Japanese army but she remains with her in-law's family for support. She relies heavily on her husband's brother Longwei and his wife Wenling, who resents Meilin's presence. As the Japanese continue their advance through China the Dao family is displaced over and over again in their effort to survive. It is always hard to summarize these sagas so let's go with the publisher's summary:

It is 1938 in China and, as a young wife, Meilin’s future is bright. But with the Japanese army approaching, Meilin and her four year old son, Renshu, are forced to flee their home. Relying on little but their wits and a beautifully illustrated hand scroll, filled with ancient fables that offer solace and wisdom, they must travel through a ravaged country, seeking refuge. Years later, Renshu has settled in America as Henry Dao. Though his daughter is desperate to understand her heritage, he refuses to talk about his childhood. How can he keep his family safe in this new land when the weight of his history threatens to drag them down? Yet how can Lily learn who she is if she can never know her family’s story? Spanning continents and generations, Peach Blossom Spring is a bold and moving look at the history of modern China, told through the story of one family. It’s about the power of our past, the hope for a better future, and the haunting question: What would it mean to finally be home?

When I finished this novel I went back in the story searching for each reference to Peach Blossom Spring. Henry first learned of this fable from his mother while he was a youth. After Henry moves to America he hears the story again, but with a different ending. He wonders why his mother changed the ending. In the last chapter of the book he figures it out. Without being a spoiler I can say it refers to wherever your home is located. The location can be a specific place or state of mind. The way the author ended the story gives us a much bigger idea of what a Peach Blossom Spring is but I won't elaborate here. However, please note that I wanted to immediately re-read the novel after I finished reading it. There has never been a novel that has had this effect on me. Perhaps I am searching for my own Peach Blossom Spring.

The Chinese setting descriptions were spot on. The reader definitely feels the effects of war on all the Chinese cities and villages that Meilin and Renshu walked through on their way to safety. Whenever they found sanctuary, they soon had to move on because of the bombs that the Japanese planes dropped. No place was safe. Eventually Meilin and Renshu moved to Taiwan with their Dao relatives to escape the Japanese and the fledgling Chinese Communist Party. We get a glimpse that Longwei is working with Taiwan's KMT Party but this fact is never specifically stated. Longwei's actions show how the KMT spies operated in mainland China. The problems of emigrating to other countries is also shown. Many Chinese had to lie about their family background in order to get access to boats that would take them to a new place. The lies would always be a problem for the countries in which they relocated.

All the characters seemed flawed. However, each character had to make a decision on how to best handle the circumstances of war. Is this a flaw? Maybe not. When you are in a lose-lose situation, whatever you decide to do looks suspicious. The Dao family did not have positive options available and they used whatever power their family had in order to survive. Instead of saying that they were flawed it may be best to state that the characters were realistic for the era in which they lived, including Henry in America. The current Chinese government does threaten Chinese Americans with harming their relatives who are still in China in order to get concessions. Henry was afraid that he would hurt his mother if he associated with other Chinese in the U. S. 

I LOVED this novel! I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Easter Bonnet Murder

The Easter Bonnet Murder is Leslie Meier's 35th Lucy Stone cozy mystery. The series takes place in Tinker's Cove, Maine during the current era. In this installment of the series the town's retired librarian, centenarian Julia Tilley is recuperating from an illness in a senior facility that is known to be the best in the area, Heritage House. However, it soon becomes apparent that it isn't all that great there. 71 year old Agnes Neal goes missing from the assisting living section of the facility right before it's annual Easter bonnet contest. Not many people are concerned about Agnes because she was allowed to come and go as she pleased from her apartment. Also, Agnes was a former international journalist with an active mind. Some folks felt threatened by her eye for details and her lack of interest in following the rules that her caretakers set for her at Heritage House and for some reason, the police are stalling the investigation into her disappearance. Lucy, a part time reporter for the local newspaper, after being contacted by Agnes's daughter Geri Mazzoni, decides to begin her own investigation into Agnes's disappearance. 

This story is one of my favorites from the series. It reads like a straight murder mystery. Only the characters necessary to solving the crime are mentioned in the story. Lucy's husband and children are not involved which for me was a plus. They never have much to do with the crimes Lucy is solving but have taken up alot of space in earlier books in the series. I especially loved the Agnes character. While she was dead from page one, what we learn about her career is fascinating. As a journalist Agnes covered several wars before retiring in Tinker's Cove where her daughter lived.

The usual Tinker's Cove setting descriptions were avoided as the retirement home setting took precedence. I preferred it. In the past I have always gotten bogged down in setting details that didn't interest me. Small town Maine is not one of my favorite places. By giving the retirement home all the space it needed for the provision of red herrings and plot twists, the author has given us a complex, contemporary cozy mystery.

5 out of 5 stars.

Evil in Emerald

Evil in Emerald is the 3rd installment of Alison Stuart's Harriet Gordon Mysteries. The series takes place in Singapore in the early 1900s. Some of you may remember the first two books in the series Singapore Sapphire and Revenge in Rubies. Most historical mystery fans read Singapore Sapphire when it was published in 2019 and loved it. I read many glowing reviews of this novel as well as the sequel.

In Evil in Emerald Harriet turns to volunteering in local plays as an outlet from her work. She has been enjoying the rehearsals for her role in the Singapore Amateur Dramatic and Musical Society’s latest production – Pirates of Penzance. However, Harriet quickly discovers tensions among the staff of the theatre company. When the leading man is found murdered, suspicions abound, exposing scandalous behavior as well as some insidious crimes. Inspector Robert Curran once again turns to his friend Harriet for help with the case. Curren's own life soon begins to unravel when a mysterious man turns up on his doorstep claiming to know more about Curran’s past than he himself knows. After Curran hears some devastating news, the line between his personal and professional life begins to blur. Now, more than ever, Curran needs Harriet’s steadfast assistance. When another cast member is found dead Curran and Harriet hurry their investigation to find the killer before a third person dies.

Harriet's character has an interesting background. She is a widow who survived a typhus epidemic in India and an incarceration in Britain for her suffragette activities. This past is not part of the mysteries that she solves but it shows how she grew into an independent woman with insight into the human psyche. When she was released from prison Harriet sailed to Singapore to help her minister brother with his school for children.

Evil in Emerald is the perfect whodunit. I love that the murdered body of Tony Dowling was found in the first pages of the story so that the remainder of the story can be about finding the killer. When Inspector Robert Curran of the Straits Settlements Police Force Detective Division begins to investigate, he relies on amateur sleuth Harriet Gordon who works part time for him as a typist. Curran has come to rely on her for advice and assistance with his investigations as she has proven herself adept at finding clues in the past. Her friendships on the island always prove fruitful when gathering information.

One interesting thing that I like about this series is that all of the characters are strong.  They have interesting backgrounds too, which can come into play in future books in the series. The author has a footnote at the end of the story advising that the fourth book in the series will not take place in Singapore but rather on the Malay Peninsula. It's always tricky to move the locale of a series so I hope the writing goes well.

As with her prior novels, author A. M. Stuart has created a Pinterest board for Evil in Emerald that is worth checking out. Here she has pinned photos of 1910 beach wear, several railway stations, street style, portraits of women, and grand mansions in Singapore. Stuart also has a Pinterest page for the Harriet Gordon Mysteries which includes cars, trains, maps, and costumes as well as separate boards for Harriet and Curran. 

5 out of 5 stars!

Bitter Roots

Bitter Roots is the 12th wine country cozy mystery featuring Lucie Montgomery as the owner of Virginia's Montgomery Estate Vineyard. Lucie is an unusual heroine because she is disabled from a mobility impairment. However, it doesn't prevent her from managing her business. 

The story opens with Lucie planning her upcoming wedding. She and her winemaker, Quinn Santori, will be married in a ceremony that overlooks her vineyard. However, with all of her Cab Franc vines dying, the scenery will actually be ugly, brown and rotting vines. Lucie and other nearby vineyard owners had purchased vines three years ago from a local nursery, Landau Garden and Nursery. All of the neighboring vines have rotted too. Lucie and Quinn meet with Landau's representatives, Eve Kerr and Richard Brightman, but Landau refuses to refund their $250,000 investment in the diseased vines. Accusations fly between them and an ugly standoff between the supplier and the growers could escalate into litigation. When Eve Kerr, a stunning blonde who works at the nursery, is found dead a few days later, everyone wonders if someone in the winemaking community went too far. What especially troubles Lucie is why Eve secretly arranged to meet Quinn on the day she was murdered and whether Lucie's soon-to-be husband knows something he's not telling her.

I love that the first sentence has a quote from Julia Child: "Julia Child once said that every woman should have a blowtorch in the kitchen." I have always loved this quote and can even remember which TV episode she said it on. The first page contains narrative that gives the reader the entire background of the series. New readers will have no problem following the story. 

This is Crosby's best novel to date. It is also her most sophisticated plot for the series and she wrote it with alot of suspense. At first, I thought that the mystery to be solved dealt with the diseased vines. The author wrote into the story plenty of dialogue about the biology of diseases that vines can have. I enjoyed learning about this aspect of growing grapes. The mystery that dominates, though, is who murdered Eve Kerr. I was not expecting a murder at the halfway point as the mystery about the vines predominated the first part of the story. It could have been enough to carry the novel. However, it did not seem offputting to have a murder this late in the story. Crosby joined all three elements-the vines, the murder and the wedding-into a spectacular ending. We even get a lesson on dereche storms as one hits Virginia in the book. These storms travel horizontally and must travel a minimum of two hundred fifty miles to be considered a dereche.

5 out of 5 stars.