Plan Red: China’s Project to Destroy America

I have enjoyed listening to Gordon Chang on cable news networks. He is an expert on China and speaks well. Chang has lived in Shanghai and Hong Kong for over twenty years. He is a columnist for Newsweek and a regular contributor to The Hill. This is a short book with just 108 pages, perhaps resembling an essay. Chang makes his points succinctly and does not waste words. At the back of the book is a sixteen page bibliography with hyperlinks and a ten page index.

Chang gives the U. S. many warnings that China plans to take over the U. S. He states that Chinese Premier Xi Jinping wants to shape the world in China’s image where there is no place for the United States. Xi Jinping believes he must destroy America in order for China to survive. Xi has not been trying hard to hide his intentions, talking alot about the “Chinese dream.” The “Chinese dream,” is the vision of China’s emperors, who believed they had both the right and the obligation to rule what they called tianxia, “all under heaven.” 

Some of the main points in the book include:

• Xi is implementing the largest military buildup since the Second World War;

• He is trying to sanctions-proof the Chinese regime;

• He is stockpiling grain and other commodities;

• He is surveying America for strikes and sabotage;

• He is mobilizing China’s civilians for battle;

• He is purging China’s military of officers opposed to going to war;

• China’s  Communist Party leaders has been able to kill Americans with impunity. Xi turned an in-country epidemic into a once-in-a-century pandemic and the peddling of fentanyl through the American southern border. Many Chinese are entering the U. S. at the southern border and are here as terrorist cells;

• The Chinese Communist Party is using all its resources to support criminal activity in America by exporting drugs, and Americans are dying as a direct result of those activities;

• The Chinese regime uses every point of contact against America, and at the moment the regime is overwhelming American institutions such as the FBI and state and local governments;

• The regime encourages it's citizens to discuss the mass murder of Americans. It's a frequent topic among the Chinese people;

• Chinese officials now consider outer space as part of the People’s Republic;

• The Communist Party of China, the CCP, views the United States as an existential threat not because of anything Americans have ever said or done but because of who they are and what they stand for. China is afraid of the inspirational impact of America’s ideals and form of governance on the Chinese people.

• China’s rulers, beginning with Mao Zedong, have plans to avenge a century of humiliation and aspired to replace the United States as the economic, military, and political leader of the world by the year 2049 (the one hundredth anniversary of the Communist Party). This plan became known as the Hundred-Year Marathon. 

• The Communist Party’s subversion is not so public. In August 2020, Radio Free Asia reported that a People’s Liberation Army intelligence unit, working out of the now-closed Houston consulate, was using big data to identify Americans likely to participate in Black Lives Matter and Antifa protests and then created and sent them “tailor-made” videos on how to organize riots. Related reporting reveals that the videos were distributed by TikTok;

• The CCP operates “Overseas Chinese Service Centers," also known as prisons, in major cities. They are located in San Francisco, Houston, Omaha, St. Paul, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, and Charlotte. The New York Post believes there are other Chinese police stations in New York and Los Angelas;

• The 2017 edition of the Science of Military Strategy, mentioned a new kind of biological warfare of “specific ethnic genetic attacks." American officials are concerned that China's relentless efforts to collect the genetic profiles of foreigners while preventing the transfer from China of the profiles of Chinese are indications of sinister intentions. If Chinese scientists succeed in designing pathogens that leave Chinese people alone but sicken only foreigners, the next disease from China;

• Chinese war doctrine is to hit the United States on the first day of the war with nukes but only after weakening people with a virus;

• China cannot attack America without American money and technology. America should stop supplying them. 

Chang's recommendation to America is to cut all ties with China. The president can exercise authority under either the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 or the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917. 

I enjoyed reading this book. It is a fast read despite the seriousness of the topic. Chang's writing is quite straightforward. However, much of the information I already knew about from reading news reports. That said, I am not sure if this information was widely known at the time of publication in August 2024.

4 out of 5 stars.

Lincoln's Lady Spymaster

Lincoln's Lady Spymaster was published two days ago. I pre-ordered a copy of it after reading an interview the author gave online. I love the history included in the book. Her story is about real life Southern belle Elizabeth Van Lew. Elizabeth was an abolitionist who lived in the best mansion in Richmond, Virginia. She supported the Union even though she lived in a Confederate state. She put everything she had at risk in order to assist the Union Army.

The publisher's summary: 

Why would Southern belle Elizabeth Van Lew risk everything in order to spy for the Union Army?  The answer was simple: freedom. Right in the heart of the Confederate capital, Elizabeth played the society lady while building a secret espionage network of slaves, Unionists, and prisoners of war.

It would cost her almost everything. Flouting society’s expectations for women, Elizabeth infiltrated prisons and defied public opinion. Her story is filled with vivid personalities, including:

Assassin John Wilkes Booth

Washington socialite and Southern spy Rose Greenhow

Prison escape artist Thomas Rose

Cavalry hero Ulrich Dahlgren

Cross-dressing intelligence agent Frank Stringfellow

From grave robbery to a bold voyage across enemy lines, Elizabeth’s escapades only grew more daring. But it paid off.

By the war’s end, she had agents in both the Confederate War Department and the Richmond White House, and her couriers provided General Ulysses S. Grant with crucial, daily intelligence for his final assault.

With extensive and fresh research, Gerri Willis uncovers the Southern abolitionist heroine that the Lost Cause buried—an unbelievable tale of one woman’s courage, resistance, and liberation. Heartfelt, thrilling, and inspiring, Lincoln’s Lady Spymaster restores a forgotten hero to her rightful place as an American icon.

This is an engaging history of abolitionist Elizabeth Van Lew. Most history books are academic but Willis wrote this book in a historical fiction style. It reads fast. I enjoyed reading about this unknown American heroine. I had no idea that women could be spies. Van Lew lost all her wealth from her advocacy on behalf of slaves and Union soldiers. Her political views were more important to her than money and a position in society. She lived forty more years after the end of the Civil War in near poverty but never regretted her actions during the war.

It was eye opening that women served as soldiers if they wore men's clothing. Women also collected charitable donations for the care of Union soldiers in the amount of $400 million. Very impressive. "Phoebe Pember served as a matron at the nation’s largest military medical center at the time, Richmond’s Chimborazo Hospital. It treated 75,000 patients over the course of the war. Women physicians were rare, but Dr. Mary Edwards Walker was a surgeon who treated soldiers on the front lines."

So how did Van Lew become a spy? She learned information about troop advances from attending balls and dances. The prisoners of war that she attended to left her written messages inside borrowed books with information also. Van Lew was bold enough to visit the wife of Jefferson Davis after hearing Mrs. Davis was seeking a maid. Van Lew offered her one of her servants, which was another way to obtain information. Using servants  she forwarded her information to General Ulysses S Grant.

Lincoln's Lady Spymaster is a fantastic history of women during the Civil War, or as some say the War of Northern Aggression.  5 out of 5 stars.

Feral Volume 1

Feral is a cute graphic novel about a group of cats who are friends. When the government evacuated their neighborhood due to a new strain of rabies, they are picked up by animal control for euthanasia. When the truck they are inside crashes the cats escape and try to find their way home. All of them are indoor catswho are lost outdoors. Elsie, Lord Fluffy Britches, and Patch encounter threats from foxes and wolves as they rush to find their way home and their usual food. The cats are smart enough to notice that the creatures they encounter have an illness of some sort and they have to stay in the trees as they travel home to avoid getting bit or scratched by them.

I loved this story from the first page to the last. It reminded me of 2024's Animal Pound comic. It's definitely kid friendly with no foul language, sexual content or graphic drawings. The comic was drawn by Trish Forster and Tone Rodriguez with coloring by Brad Simpson. Simpson used a muted pallette of blues and purples and reds. It's gorgeous. 

Volume 1 collects issues 1 through 5 of the series. It was published in March 2024. There are currently 10 volumes available. I hope that they all are eventually published in an omnibus edition. It would be nice to them all contained in one big book.

5 out of 5 stars.

Save Her Life

Save Her Life is my choice for the Key Word Reading Challenge for June. Hostage negotiator Sandra Vos is the protagonist of a new police procedural series with Save Her Life being the first installment of the series. Sandra chose law enforcement as a career because her brother was murdered when they were young. When her teenage daughter disappears, Sandra feels like life is repeating itself. The book was published on May 27, 2025.

The publisher's summary:

The tears fall down the girl’s pale face as she desperately tries to struggle free from the ties around her wrists. The only sound in the room other than her muffled cries is the ticking of a clock. Her mother has less than one hour to find her alive.

It’s been more than thirty years since Special Agent Sandra Vos’s twin brother was shot dead, an innocent victim caught in a kidnap gone wrong. It devastated Sandra’s family, but it made her who she is today, one of the FBI’s most successful negotiators.

After dropping her teenage daughter, Olivia, at school, Sandra is alerted to a potential hostage situation at her local grocery store and races to the scene. A man has pulled out a gun and is refusing to talk or let anyone out of the building until his demands are met. The fate of dozens of lives rests in Sandra’s hands.

But as Sandra starts to make a breakthrough with the hostage taker, she receives a call that makes her blood run cold. Someone has taken Olivia, and their demand will push Sandra to her absolute limit. If it’s not met within twenty-four hours, she will never see her daughter again.

Sandra knows she should step aside, letting her team take over, but she doesn’t trust anyone else to bring Olivia home alive. Breaking every rule in the book, Sandra is ready to go into her most personal negotiation yet. But how much will she have to sacrifice to save her daughter?

The story opened with Sandra attending a parole hearing for the man who killed her brother over thirty years ago. The man was denied parole. The story then moved to a hostage negotiation that Sandra lead. I don’t think I needed to read 80 pages of Sandra negotiating with a hostage taker to understand her job. It was overkill. Also, her daughter wasn't kidnapped until 40% of the way into the story. Since saving daughter Olivia's life is what the book is supposed to be about, I think the kidnapping should have occurred early on in the story.  

The book concentrates more on procedure than relationships and I was somewhat bored. I did not connect with Sandra as a character. I felt more for the criminals instead. After reading other reviews of the book I am aware that my opinion is a minority opinion. Given that these criminals are not going to be involved in future stories, I don’t see much to entice me to continue to read the series. There aren't any secondary characters that were drawn upon either. We basically only read what their names are.

The plot was interesting but I had a few issues with the writing. I am rating the book 3 out of 5 stars.

The Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras

This is the first book in a humorous mystery series featuring a New Mexico pottery dealer who has a side job as an amateur sleuth. Hubert Schuze studied math in college and is familiar with Pythagorus and his theorems. Hubie uses his knowledge of math when creating his own pots, most of which are duplicates of ancient pots.

The publisher's summary:

A dealer of ancient Native American pottery, Hubert Schuze has spent years combing the public lands of New Mexico, digging for artwork that would otherwise remain buried. According to the US government, Hubie is a thief—but no act of Congress could stop him from doing what he loves. For decades, Hubie has worn the title of pot thief proudly. Outright burglary, though, is another story.

But an offer of $25,000 to lift a rare pot from a local museum proves too tempting for Hubie to refuse. When he sees how tightly the relic is guarded, he changes his mind, but the pot goes missing anyway. Soon a federal agent suspects that Hubie is the culprit. After things take a turn for the serious, Hubie knows he must find the real thief quickly, or risk cracking something more fragile than any pot—his skull.

Hubert used many Pythagorian measurements in order to plan his heist. Hubert is not only a math major but he is also a treasure hunter turned pot thief. He is only considered a thief because of a new American law disallowing archeologists and other diggers from keeping things they find. Hubert doesn't dig on Indian lands or private property, but he feels that he's part of the public, so public land finds belong to him too! He runs a pot store in New Mexico selling his great finds.

This book is a humorous, intellectual mystery full of stories about Pythagorus' life and theories. Hubert and his friend Susannah have intellectual discussions on this mathematician while they enjoy their daily evening drinks. The book is a great start for this new cozy mystery series.

Brownstone

I loved reading this YA graphic novel. The main character is Almudena, a fourteen year old girl, who is sent to live with her father for the summer because her mother is taking a once in a lifetime trip. The problem is that she has never met him and he does not speak English. Xavier is Guatemalan and is happy to see her, but he expects her to live in (and help fix up) his old, broken-down brownstone. Along the way, Almudena must navigate the language barrier. 

As Almudena tries to adjust to this new reality, she gets to know the residents of Xavier’s Latin American neighborhood. Each member of the community has their own joys and heartbreaks as well as their own strong opinions on how this young Latina should talk, dress, and behave. Some can’t understand why she doesn’t know where she comes from. Others think she’s “not brown enough” to fit in.  However, Almudena becomes fast friends with them all.  By summer's end, she hates leaving her new friends behind but is happy to return to living with her mother.

I loved the Almudena character. She is a happy go lucky girl who can deal with any situation. She helps all of her new neighbors with their problems without skipping a beat. Somehow she is able to communicate with her father and new friends who only speak Spanish. Note that the novel is bilingual. While it is mainly told in English, there is dialogue in Spanish that is not translated.  The artwork was primarily colored in brown tones to match the storyline.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Doctor's Secret

The Doctor's Secret was published last year. It's a psychological thriller featuring city coroner Stacy Lewis as the protagonist. Her fiance, emergency physician Dr. Henry Goldberg, is the prime suspect in a serial murder case wherein three women who look like Stacy are killed. The killer always leaves the bodies naked in an alleyway. Stacy does not believe that Henry is the killer. However, her ex-boyfriend Matt Ensor does. Matt is the detective on the cases. Stacy is convinced that Matt’s judgment is skewed by his hatred of Henry and desire to get Stacy back. She is willing to do anything to clear Henry's name, even abuse her position as city coroner. After getting Henry out of jail on bail, women begin disappearing again.

Stacy was an annoying character. I could not stand to hear her acquiesce to everything Henry desired. Henry disagreed with all her plans for dinner, wedding planning, and even the books Stacy was allowed to read at home. He was a bully. I thought she was a weak character. Because she grew up in an abusive home, Stacy was trained to cater to bullies. I cannot imagine how she obtained a medical degree or was able to perform autopsies without a mental breakdown. As the coroner, Stacy autopsied the victims of the serial killer. Some of her findings she shared with her husband but he refused to listen because it was macabre.

While Stacy was annoying, Henry was the typical mama's boy. He felt he was the king of his household because his mother held him up on a pedestal. Whenever Stacy was speaking he cut her off. He dictated their dinners, the TV shows they watched and Stacy's reading material. I am astonished that Stacy would accept this behavior. She was highly educated and I expected more from her.

I figured out the identity of the whodunnit early on. The whydunnit was hard to determine and it wasn't revealed until the end of the story. It was an OK ending but I wish that it had been more complex. 

3 out of 5 stars.

Spent

Alison Bechdel's Spent graphic novel was published earlier this week. The novel's main character is Alison herself but this Alison has a different life history. Book Alison runs a pygmy goat sanctuary in Vermont. She is upset over climate change and the possibility of civil war in the U. S.  Book Alison’s first graphic novel was about her father’s taxidermy business and was made into a successful, Emmy award winning TV show. Alison is trying to sell her second graphic novel, which is about late capitalism and her guilt over being white. She wants to free people from consumer capitalism and live a more ethical life. However, she wonders whether her love of her middle class lifestyle is a betrayal of her lifelong values.

The book is quite funny. The plot is structured around the contents of a Marxist explanation of money. While this sounds serious, it is written with funny lines by all of the characters who are not afraid to poke fun at themselves and the politicians they follow. Alison has a conservative sister Sheila who is a nationally renowned seed artist. Sheila and Alison just barely tolerate each other. The story became slow in the middle. There was too much dialogue on politics and special interest groups and not much action. We read about Alison’s daily life here.

Alison’s partner is Holly. She is a sculptor by trade. Holly's character resembles the author’s own wife, Holly Rae Taylor, an artist who did the coloring on Spent. The couple meets daily with their friends, which includes Stuart who is a Bernie Sanders look-alike, Stuart's wife Sparrow and their college dropout kid, J.R., and Lois, who acts as a sort of tour guide to other people’s sexual hangups and fetishes.

I would not recommend the book for children. While there is no profanity, the book has several drawings of characters having sex. In addition, there are discussions among them about being lesbians. I don't think kids would be interested in it anyway because the storyline is about middle aged characters. All of the characters are extremely liberal in their politics. They constantly talk about their activities volunteering for many political groups.

I enjoyed this comic but there was too much politics for my taste. I am rating it 4 out if 5 stars.

The Retirement Plan

I chose The Retirement Plan as my selection for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge this month. It was published a few days ago. The story is a funny cozy mystery that anyone whoever has been married, yes everyone, will enjoy.

The publisher's summary:

Three best friends turn to murder to collect on their husbands’ life insurance policies… But the husbands have a plan of their own in this darkly funny debut that will delight readers from the first laugh to the final twist.

After thirty years of friendship, Pam dreams of her perfect retirement with Nancy, Shalisa, Marlene, and their husbands—until their husbands pool their funds for an investment that goes terribly wrong. Suddenly, their golden years are looking as dreary as their marriages.

But when the women discover their husbands have seven-figure life insurance policies, a new dream forms. And this time, they need a hitman.

Meanwhile, their husbands are working on their own secret retirement scheme and when things begin to go sideways, they fear it’s backfired. The husbands scramble to stay alive…but soon realize they may not be quick enough to outmaneuver their wives.

I feel that the first few chapters were slow while the author set up her plot. There were alot of characters introduced as well as the backstory on the two retirement plans. This plot is the most ingenious plot I ever heard. I knew the book would be entertaining so while it began slow I kept reading and soon was hooked. 

The characters are hilarious. The three wives and the three husbands behaved ridiculously. None of them could successfully carry out a plan and they all bumbled their actions. The person in the middle of it all is the barber, Hector, who just happens to be an organized crime killer from Central America. The story was revealed through four alternating points of view. The wives had one viewpoint, the husbands had theirs, the new manager of the casino where the husbands worked, Padma, had hers  and then we have Hector's. The novel switches points of view frequently. And while I enjoyed the antics of the husbands and wives tremendously, I think my favorite chapters were probably from the perspective of Padma, the frazzled casino boss of two of the husbands with an overbearing mother. Hector is also a cool character to follow.

Humor exudes throughout the story because of the zany plot. You can't help but chuckle at everyone's antics. The Retirement Plan is the type of yarn that all will enjoy. I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Ms. Tree Volume 2: Skeleton in the Closet

Volume 2 of the Ms. Tree graphic novel saga was published in October 2020.  It collects Ms. Tree Quarterly releases 2, 4, 6, and 10. These issues were originally released by DC Comics and have been republished under Titan Comic’s Hard Case Crime imprint.

Our protagonist Ms. Michael Tree is a 6 foot tall, gun toting female private investigator. She solves crimes of passion, murder and intrigue. Ms. Tree doesn't think any case is too small, or too violent. All she cares about is getting the job done. Along the way she fights to get revenge for her murdered husband.

Skeleton in the Closet was set and written in the 80's. It's definitely for mature audiences as the story deals with cases of Satanic worship, homophobia, date rape, and missing POW's from Vietnam. It was quite innovative at the time it was originally written, being one of the first comics to not only deal with homophobia but have a supporting character come out in the book. The storyline also takes a hard look at date rape decades before the MeToo movement began. 

This was a fascinating look back in time. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Ms. Tree Volume 1: One Mean Mother

I recently discovered this book from Comixology Unlimited. It is the first collection of five classic Ms. Tree comics. Collection #1 collects issues #1, 4, 7, 8, and 9 of the “Ms. Tree Quarterly,” the follow-up series by DC Comics to the fifty-issue series by smaller publishers. The Ms. Tree comics began 37 years ago and over the years has been optioned to several TV stations.

Ms. Michael Tree is a 6 foot tall,  gun toting female private investigator. She solves crimes of passion, murder and intrigue in these  satisfying stories. Ms. Tree doesn't think any case is too small, or too violent. All she cares about is getting the job done. Along the way she fights to get revenge for her murdered husband.

One Mean Mother begins with Ms. Tree being hired to find out who killed her arch nemesis at Muerta Investigations, Dominique Muerta. She was hired by the deceased's daughter who just happens to be dating her stepson, Michael Tree, Jr. Ms. Tree begins her investigation by taking over the security of the Muerta company and tightens up security at the building in which it is located. Then we backtrack in time to when Ms. Tree met her husband while they were both in college. The book continues to move back and forth in time, but telling a complete story.

If you like hard boiled mysteries and/or are looking for a strong female character in your comics then you want to get this book. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Secret Keeper

The Secret Keeper is a historical fiction novel of 1937 India and England. It was published last year on August 12, 2024. The story has a dual timeline from the character Rani in the 1930s and 1940s India to Esme in the current time period.

The publisher's summary:

1938, Rani - the bright and spirited daughter of an Indian Crown Prince - leads a privileged if lonely life. But everything is about to change. Longing for freedom and purpose, she escapes the confines of her father’s palace and meets Prasad – a poor young man – with whom she falls deeply in love. But her plan to gain her father’s approval for the match disastrously backfires.

Estranged from her family and haunted by guilt, Rani’s path takes her from Cambridge to Bletchley Park and a new world of intrigue and secrets. Against the backdrop of war, Rani finds comfort and a sense of belonging with fellow codebreaker William and his young son. Could they heal her heart and become the family she craves?

Then Prasad reappears – and past and present collide, shattering Rani’s fragile happiness. As retribution for the hurt she caused him, he demands she pass him secrets from Bletchley. But at what cost? Torn between her past and her present, love and loyalty, Rani must face up to a heart-wrenching sacrifice . . .

I knew this book would be entertaining because Renita D'Silva always crafts a fine story. The Secret Keeper is another beautiful example of her writing. The novel's setting in India was described must better than that in Britain and Germany. The exotic foods, clothing, and atmosphere brought it to life for me and I can never get enough of reading about India. As such, I loved Rani’s life there. However, most of the story takes place in Bletchley Park. This is where Rani shined as a person. She was able to break through the constraints imposed upon her gender and perform work equal to any man. Her actual workplace was the only setting portrayed in Britain.

In the beginning of the story I had a difficult time connecting the lives of Esme and Rani. The Esme timeline was written with short paragraphs here and there compared to Rani’s. This suited me fine because Rani’s path was the more compelling. The connection between these two ladies was gradually revealed, keeping me hooked. 

Rani’s conundrum was that as a young girl she had lived a life free of the usual constraints against women. Her father was a prince of India and had left his royal life behind him. He supported Rani’s desire to be educated and encouraged her to think critically. However, after his father died he was called back to India where he became the opposite of who he had been. Rani and her mother were forced to live in separate quarters from the men and only saw her father and brother whenever they decided to visit. All of her father’s ideas of equal education for women disappeared. Rani wanted to attend college in Cambridge but was constantly rebuffed. After Rani met Prassad, she stole her father’s sword and gave it to him. The result for her was banishment from India but Prassad was tortured. Rani got what she wanted, though, a Cambridge education.

While Rani appears to be a strong woman, she seems to be a weak woman in her decision-making. I feel that she made some bad decisions while in England. I don't want to give any spoilers here, but many times she acted like the simple woman her newly crowned father believed her to be. I was struck by this dichotomy as I was reading. Rani is a complex character.

The Secret Keeper is a heartwarming tale about cultural differences in gender between the west and east. I loved it and am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Great British Bump Off: Kill or be Quilt #1

Following the success of the Great British Bump Off baking murder mystery series, John Allison brings us a companion series. The Kill or Be Quilt series will have five releases and takes place in a fabric shop that we quilters refer to as a quilt shop. The next release will be published later today.

The publisher's summary:

When wildcat arson hits her new employer right where she lives, Shauna Wickle is drawn into the brutal and vindictive world of quilting, as sisterhood and community needlecraft deteriorate into internecine strife. With the promise of an end to all her financial worries, Shauna must cross enemy lines and infiltrate a cadre of “monsters in human skin”. But they seem…so nice

This is a light hearted cozy mystery in graphic novel format.  Shauna Wickle is the main character. She is a bright, kind, peppy girl who embarks on a relaxing vacation, sailing down English canals in a boat she borrowed from her uncle. However, Shauna is not an experienced sailor and soon finds that the boat has run aground and needs to be fixed before Shauna can continue her vacation. She is lucky to land in Barton-on-Wendle, and gets a job working at a fabric shop in order to earn money for repairs. At the shop she learns what a fat quarter is and is delighted to see bobbins of thread organized by color. Because of her bubbly personality, the shop owner believes Shauna will scare off their customers. We have to wait for the next release to find out how she fits in with the employees.

Way, way over 5 out of 5 stars.

The Way of the Wicked

I have been reading Mel Starr's books since he began writing. Last year he published this 17th novel in his Hugh de Singleton series. Way of the Wicked was a relaxing read, although there was some difficulty with medieval wording.

The publisher's summary:

Kendrick Wroe is found dead in the frozen Shill Brook.

Most suspect he has been poaching Lord Gilbert's fish, though Sir Hugh finds reason to believe this may not be so... Then one of Kendrick's friends is slain; another seems to be in mortal peril, and in an apparent attempt to throw Hugh off the scent, his comely daughter Bessie is abducted.

As the town drops all to find her, the tension steadily increases: a member of a plow team dies in mysterious circumstances, Kendrick's surviving friend is forced to flee for safety in Eynsham Abbey, and as events seemingly spiral out of control, it’s all Hugh can do to master his anxiety and uncover the killer...

Mel Starr's latest novel is a thoroughly enjoyable medieval murder mystery. It may be enjoyed as complete in itself, or as part of the Hugh de Singleton series.

I was surprised by how much difficulty I had in understanding all of the medieval words the author used. Some pages seemed to be written solely in old English. I was able to adjust but it took me at least a third of the book. For me that's unusual. Since I have read all of the sixteen prior installments of the series and never had this issue, I must wonder if the author changed his writing style. There is a lengthy glossary at the front of the book but since I read an ebook it seemed harder to keep going back and forth. I knew that the murders were coming soon so I kept on reading, assuming that I would like this whodunit. Thankfully, I did.

Why the title? In this story, two boys are murdered. The murderer fears that Hugh will find him out and finds wicked ways to distract him. I didn't quite catch the clues to the killer's identity. Hugh questioned a few people but was stumped throughoutmost of the story. Toward the end we read that he has figured out who the killer was but I have no idea how he came to his conclusions. Still, I enjoyed catching up with my favorite characters.

The author is a medieval scholar and brings authenticity to this era. However, I think a little less authenticity would be an improvement. 3 out of 5 stars.

The Keeper of Lost Art

Laura Morelli is one of my best authors. In the past she has written art themed stories that took place in the Middle Ages. She returns in 2025 with a coming of age WWII novel that is based on true events.

The publisher's summary:

As Allied bombs rain down on Torino in the autumn of 1942, Stella Costa’s mother sends her to safety with distant relatives in a Tuscan villa. There, Stella finds her family tasked with a great responsibility: hiding nearly 300 priceless masterpieces from Florence, including Botticelli’s famous Primavera.

With the arrival of German troops imminent, Stella finds herself a stranger in her family’s villa and she struggles to understand why her aunt doesn’t like her. She knows it has something to do with her parents—and the fact that her father, who is currently fighting at the front, has been largely absent from her life.

When a wave of refugees seeks shelter in the villa, Stella befriends Sandro, an orphaned boy with remarkable artistic talent. Amid the growing threats, Sandro and Stella take refuge in the villa’s “treasure room,” where the paintings are hidden. There, Botticelli’s masterpiece and other works of art become a solace, an inspiration, and the glue that bonds Stella and Sandro as the dangers grow.

A troop of German soldiers requisitions the villa and puts everyone to forced labor. Now, with the villa full of German soldiers, refugees, a secret guest, and hundreds of priceless treasures, no one knows who will emerge unscathed, and whether the paintings will be taken as spoils or become unintended casualties.

Inspired by the incredible true story of a single Tuscan villa used as a hiding place for the treasures of Florentine art during World War II, The Keeper of Lost Art takes readers on a breathtaking journey into one of the darkest chapters of Italy’s history, highlighting the incredible courage of everyday people to protect some of the most important works of art in western civilization. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The plot shows us what Italians had to deal with during WWII. This is a viewpoint I have never read about before. The families left behind by the Italian soldiers was fraught with food and gas shortages as well as fear of the Germans who were occupying their country. For Stella's family, they were tested beyond belief. Her uncle, zio Tino, and her aunt, zio Angela, allowed over 200 refugees to live in their wine cellar, for almost a year. Angela, Stella, and her cousins Livia and Mariasole did all of the cooking, using up the family’s private storage of food for these strangers. A representative of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence talks zio Tino into storing a few hundred paintings on the property. Tino is now responsible for preventing the Germans from taking them. Stella befriends a boy named Sandro who is skilled in drawing and they often seek out the paintings to copy. The Germans soon arrive and decide to stay at the villa. The family and refugees are terrified but they all dutily perform the labor that the German soldiers demand. 

The main characters were all compelling. Zio Tino is a compassionate man who cannot turn away any refugees. He is mild mannered but is strong enough to handle the Germans. His wife zio Angela argues with him constantly over using up their food and other resources for people who aren't family. She is an unhappy woman who takes it out on everyone else in the family. Stella is an intriguing character and she is also the main character. Initially she is afraid of her aunt but Stella becomes more confident from learning how to cook, clean, and find new friends. 

The Tuscany countryside is the setting. It affects the type of fighting that can be done as well as the recipes that the ladies cooked. The villa is located in a rural area of Tuscany so it's a much safer place to be than in the city. Life is easier here than in Florence which is hit hard by the armies. I was surprised that properties owned by British citizens became the property of Italy. I did not expect this but it was not any different from what the Germans did throughout Europe.

The Keeper of Lost Art was a wonderful coming-of-age story that historical fiction fans will enjoy. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Six Days in Bombay

Alka Joshi is the author of the Jaipur Trilogy which I loved. The Henna Artist was the best of the three. Her latest novel was published on April 15, 2025. It primarily takes place in Bombay during the late 1930s and it is a standalone novel. The story also travels to Prague, Florence, Paris and London, to uncover the mystery behind a famous painter's death.

The publisher's summary:

When renowned painter Mira Novak arrives at Wadia hospital in Bombay after a miscarriage, she's expected to make a quick recovery, and her nurse, Sona, is excited to learn more about the vivacious artist who shares her half-Indian identity. Sona, yearning for a larger life, finds herself carried away by Mira's stories of her travels and exploits and is shocked by accounts of the many lovers the painter has left scattered throughout Europe. When Mira dies quite suddenly and mysteriously, Sona falls under suspicion, and her quiet life is upended.

The key to proving Sona's innocence may lie in a cryptic note and four paintings Mira left in her care, sending the young woman on a mission to visit the painter's former friends and lovers across a tumultuous Europe teetering toward war. On the precipice of discovering her own identity, Sona learns that the painter's charming facade hid a far more complicated, troubled soul.

In her first stand-alone novel since her bestselling debut, The Henna Artist, Alka Joshi uses the life of painter Amrita Sher-Gil, the "Frida Kahlo of India," as inspiration for the story's beginning to explore how far we'll travel to determine where we truly belong.

This novel offers the reader two trajectories to follow. Sona Falstaff, a 23 year-old nurse, has been coddled by her mother all her life. When her mother suddenly dies after she is fired, Sona has to come to terms with who she wants to be. Her mother wanted her to be more adventurous and do new things. Then there is the flamboyant Mira Novak, a patient of Sona's who died after spending six days in the hospital. Mira had a miscarriage at home and was admitted by her husband the same day. Sona was enthralled with Mira's stories about her friends as well as living in Prague, Paris and Florence as a painter. The title comes from the six days that Sona knew Mira. 

These two characters were complete opposites. As the story goes along we see Sona branching out as well as discovering the truth surrounding all of Mira's stories. She is an insecure person, being the product of an Indian mother and a British father. Sona was taunted while growing up due to her skin color as well as being fatherless. Some in Bombay accuse her of being too Indian and others say she is too British.

While Sona travels throughout Europe she meets Mira's friends, all of whom make colorful secondary characters. The other secondary characters work at the Bombay hospital. They are the stereotypical people you would expect for the time and place. As Mira's life unfolds, Sona wonders whether she could live so boldly.

The ending ties up all the loose ends and is sweet. Six Days in Bombay is an engaging story that historical fiction fans will love. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Lost Girls

The Lost Girls was published in February 2025. It was previously published in 2023 with the title The Flash Girls. I don't know the reason for changing the title, especially since several flash girls were killed in the story. Perhaps the story was revised. I don't know. As usual, though, J. M. Cannon has written another outstanding novel. He is the king of psychological thrillers.

The publisher's summary:

Charleston, South Carolina. Four years ago. Three girls disappear into the night. One by one they go missing, never to be seen again. No witnesses, no leads, nothing. The only thing they had in common? An uneasy sense of being watched in the days before they vanished. Noises in the night, and boot prints in the flower beds outside their bedroom windows . . .

Today. One of the lost girls was Anna Klein's best friend. With no body, the case went cold. But Anna never stopped looking for Sylvie - or whoever took her. Now, four years later, Anna finally has a lead when a body turns up in an abandoned mansion. She has to know: is it Sylvie? But time is running out. As the storm of the century threatens the whole East Coast, the clock is ticking to find the answers before this trail goes cold.

Can Anna find Sylvie and the other girls before they're lost forever?

I was mesmerized by this story from the first page:  

"Marble eyes. That's the rumor. A woman's corpse has been found with eyes like a doll. Anna thinks it sounds just strange enough to be what's she's after. The location is right. So is the body's estimated age."  

I had alot of questions already about the plot from this first paragraph. It was so intriguing that I couldn't stop reading until I finished the book in one sitting. The pace was fast but the last quarter of the story was super fast.  

Anna's job as a newspaper journalist was perfect for an amateur sleuth. She was assigned to covering a fast approaching hurricane but she felt that was beneath her. The murder story should have been assigned to her, not the newby reporter on staff. She was always ahead of the police but they didn't always know it. There are subtle hints throughout the book of Anna having intimate knowledge of the missing girls. While I was reading I was not sure whether this was a clue or red herring.

The secondary characters were all important to the plot. Anna worked with Justin at the newspaper and her favorite teacher Geller helped her with unscrambling the meaning behind the killer's poem. Her mother was awful. She was an unrepentant alcoholic but her importance is revealed toward the end. Anna's school friends Hannah, Tess and Sylvie have been missing for four years. They are the flash girls. The meaning behind "flash" was part of the killer's modus operandi and it was an intriguing part of the story.

The Charleston setting wasn't prominent until the latter half of the book as the hurricane approached. Here we read about famous buildings being ripped apart from the waves. The ending was a surprise I did not expect  ur it was a satisfying feeling to finish the book.

I loved this book and mystery fans will want to read it, especially if they like psychological thrillers. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Lotus Shoes

Asian stories are are some of my favorite historical fiction novels. The Lotus Shoes was another enjoyable read for me. It is an uplifting tale about two Chinese girls who are from different classes. One serves the other as a slave but as they grow up, their relationship takes on a new facets.

The publisher's summary:

1800s China. Tightly bound feet, or "golden lilies," are the mark of an honorable woman, eclipsing beauty, a rich dowry and even bloodline in the marriage stakes. When Little Flower is sold as a maidservant—a muizai—to Linjing, a daughter of the prominent Fong family, she clings to the hope that one day her golden lilies will lead her out of slavery.

Not only does Little Flower have bound feet, uncommon for a muizai, but she is extraordinarily gifted at embroidery, a skill associated with the highest class of a lady. Resentful of her talents, Linjing does everything in her power to thwart Little Flower's escape.

But when scandal strikes the Fongs, both women are cast out to the Celibate Sisterhood, where Little Flower’s artistic prowess catches the eye of a nobleman. His attention threatens not only her improved status, but her life—the Sisterhood punishes disobedience with death. And if Linjing finds out, will she sabotage Little Flower to reclaim her power, or will she protect her? 

The Lotus Shoes is an engrossing journey through 19th century rural China. The lives people led were sad from living in abject poverty but for the most part they accepted their lot in life. Our heroine was the exception. Little Flower a compelling character. Every time her hopes are dashed she comes up with a new plan to better herself. Linjing, on the other hand, is spiteful and she relies on others to fix her mistakes. She is the villain of the story. Linjing constantly shoves Little Flower down because she can. Little Flower is her slave.

Little Flower's ups and downs provide the mystery for the story. You don't know if she can survive all the horrible things that happen to her. She is punished for running away from the Fongs by having a hand clubbed. Linjing is so jealous of Little Flower that she forces her to stop binding her feet. There will be no prospective marriage for her with normal feet. Linjing also makes her cut up a wedding quilt that Little Flower embroidered. At every turn Little Flower's upworldly mobile plans are dashed. After the two of them are kicked out of the Fong home, Little Flower asserts her independence. Her character is what saves her, though, as she is viewed sympathetically from her superiors.

The plot is revealed with a dual narrative from Linjing and Little Flower's perspectives. I like this type of format for a novel. The Chinese setting was prominent to the story as it detailed the harsh life of 19th century. It brought a sadness to me as everyone was poor, but we see different degrees of poverty. 

The Lotus Shoes is a revealing look at women's lives of the era. 5 out of 5 stars.

Old Habits Die Hard

I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review. It is the first book in a new series called Nun the Wiser. It was published on April 2, 2025.

The publisher's summary:

When retired nun and teacher Sister Bernadette returns with her fellow residents to The Abbey: Senior Living, she is the first to discover the body sprawled in the hallway of the converted school where she once taught English and now lives. Instead of freezing with horror, Sister Bernie has questions. Lots of them. Why does Toni Travi, the bedazzled and bejeweled resident from apartment 218, have so much chest hair? Did anyone at The Abbey know Toni was a man? Was Toni’s death related to allegations that she cheated at cards? Where’s the murder weapon? Who had motive? And did someone kill Toni, or the man hiding beneath the Revlon foundation and blonde wig?

Detective AJ Lewis is in charge of the investigation though Sister Bernie acts as if he is still her student. With unholy stubbornness, she dogs his every step, eavesdrops, sneaks beyond the police tape and offers unsolicited conjecture and clues. He wants to keep her safe, but she’s determined to lend a helping hand—it’s her habit, after all!

Old Habits Die Hard is a cute cozy mystery with a retired nun as the amateur sleuth. The murder of a resident at a senior residence happened early in the story and the investigation began quickly. It was realistic with the police following protocol regardless of how fast it took them to solve the murder. Protocol prioritized over untangling the mystery. The officer charged with the investigation used to be a student of Sister Bernadette/Bernie, our amateur sleuth and he was a little afraid of engaging her with his questions. He also spent alot of time ignoring her questions about the investigation. Their relationship will make this new series unbeatable.

Several of the characters who lived at the residence will make interesting villains, or at least suspects, in future installments of the series. I can even see Bernie as a suspect. She's nosy and knows everyone's business. She also knows where all the secret nooks and crannies are in the senior building because it used to be the school where she taught for 48 years. Bernie used these spaces to eavesdrop on AJ's witness interviews. She then used the information gleaned to further her own investigation.

5 out of 5 stars. Cozy lovers should check this one out.

An Irish Bookshop Murder

Last year I read three books from Lucy Connelly's Scottish Isles series and loved them. When I found out about this new Mercy McCarthy mystery I had to get it. This series takes place in Shamrock Cove, Ireland and I love the setting. 

The publisher's summary:

Meet Ireland’s newest daring detective: she’s a bookstore owner, a coffee lover, and a crime writer. Now Mercy McCarthy needs a little Irish luck as she takes on her first case!  After receiving an unexpected inheritance from her grandfather, Mercy and her twin sister Lizzie are now the proud owners of a charming antique bookshop in the tiny Irish village of Shamrock Cove. But before they can take in the beautiful view of the sea, one of their neighbors drops dead!

Mercy finds the Judge, a well-respected man who lives next door, dying on his own doorstep. She rushes to help, but with his final words, he accuses Mercy of murder! Most of their new neighbors hear his words and, with suspicion pointing at Mercy, she decides to investigate the case to clear her name.  Searching amongst the Judge’s old books, Mercy uncovers letters proving several of the townsfolk had reason to dislike the older man—but was it the local pub landlord, the kindly cook or neighborly knitter who killed him?

Then Mercy’s chief suspect turns up dead and she receives a threatening note, typed on paper from her own bookstore… Ireland was supposed to be a fresh start for Mercy and Lizzie, but dead bodies keep turning up.  Does Mercy have what it takes to nail the culprit or will the killer close the book on her time in this charming Irish village?

Connelly has recently become one of my favorite authors. I am thrilled to have discovered her. An Irish Bookshop Murder is a great start for the series. Many times first novels have too much backstory and character information to the detriment of the actual mystery. Here, however, we have a rich mystery to solve and it has many twists. The pace is fast and with quirky characters it is an engaging story. I can see future installments of the series having a wide variety of plotlines with all of these eccentric characters. 

If there is anything negative to say about the book, it is the suspension of belief required to accept Mercy’s  investigation of the Judge’s murder. It seemed bizarre that she would investigate when she had only lived in the community for one week. Who does that? Most people would be busy unpacking and arranging their new home to their taste. Most people wouldn't be able to remember all the names of their new neighbors yet alone consider whether they are guilty of murder.

The story is a fast read. Cozy mystery lovers will enjoy it. 5 out of 5 stars.