Coffin Road

I had already read Peter May's Enzo Files series when I saw this book at the library. I was hoping it would be another Enzo File novel but it was not.  It is better. Coffin Road is the best novel that I have read in a long time.  It had me spell bound and I could not put it down.

The story takes place on the Isle of Harris in Scotland's Outer Hebrides. The setting is central to the story.  The characters react to the flora and fauna of the scenery and the stormy weather patterns are part of the plot.  Since the author is a Scotsman he is an expert on the geography of this location.

The main character washes ashore on a beach on the Isle of Harris with amnesia. He has no idea who he is or why he is on the island.  He learns a few things about himself from other characters, including where he is living and eventually his name, but begins a search into his identity after finding a map of the island that leads to a path called Coffin Road. He feels led to this part of the island and begins his search there.

A rebellious teenager Karen Fleming stops attending school after her mother decides to let her boyfriend move in.  She feels her mother is betraying her father who has been dead for 2 years and determines to find out more about him.

Homicide detective George Gunn travels to a remote island to investigate the death of a man in an abandoned lighthouse where a century earlier 3 lighthouse keepers disappeared.

The stories of these 3 characters merge together in a tightly woven plot.  There is a lot of suspense in this book which turned out to be an eco-thriller.  I was not expecting the story to go there but it added an interesting aspect to the plot. An amazing read.  Highly recommended!

The Shogun's Daughter

I read The Shogun's Daughter for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.  It is the 17th installment of a series with samurai Sano Ichiro as sleuth.  This is the first book of the series that I have read and it works great as a stand alone novel.

Tsuruhime is the shogun's daughter and she has succumbed to smallpox.  The mystery is whether she died of natural causes or was murdered.  She was the only person who could have produced an heir for the shogun.  After her death the shogun is told that he has a son named Yoshisato that he never knew about from one of his concubines.  Sano is tasked with finding out who killed Tsuruhime and gets caught up in the politics of feudal Japan in the 1700s.  

I enjoyed this novel immensely.  I have never read any historical mysteries set in Japan and learned a lot about life in this place and era.  In the beginning I had some trouble getting used to the Japanese names and expected it to be a long read.  Since the dialogue was modern the read went pretty fast.  It seemed , however, that most of the plot was about political intrigue instead of being about the solving of a crime.   The political intrigue, while fascinating, made the book seem longer than it needed to be.  

All in all this was a great book and I look forward to reading the entire series.

My Kind of Mystery 2017 Reading Challenge

I am joining this challenge which runs from February 1, 2017 through January 31, 2018.  There does not appear to be any rules for the challenge so I assume you can read any number of books in any sub-genre of the mystery genre.  I sort of like a challenge with no required number of books.  It makes me feel more relaxed knowing I don't have to push myself to read x number of books per month.

The Champagne Conspiracy

I read Ellen Crosby's The Champagne Conspiracy for the Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge.  This book is the 7th installment of the wine country mystery series. The author took a break from the series a few years ago so I was pleased to find this book in the library last week.

The main character is Lucie Montgomery, a disabled vineyard owner in Virginia. Her winemaker/boyfriend is Quinn Santorini and together they have decided to create a sparkling wine.  This aspect of the book takes a second seat to the family history of Quinn.  Quinn's California cousin Gino Tomassi arrives at the vineyard to find out who is blackmailing him over what happened to his grandfather's first wife Zara Tomassi. Zara died in 1923, the day after President Warren Harding died in California while on his way back home from a trip to Alaska.  Amateur sleuth Lucie delves into the Tomassi family history to help Gino get answers.  She finds the story begins in Prohibition era Washington, DC, travels across the pond to England and ends in California.

There were several subplots that made the plot a little confusing.  However, I loved getting to know the characters again and the subplots did all come together at the end.  The pace was fast and there were some interesting historical facts blended into the story which made it a fun read.  Of course, there was alot of information on the wine making process which I loved reading about.

Highly recommended!

Silk Tether Book Review

I read Minal Khan's Silk Tether for the 2017 New Authors Reading Challenge.  I had to read a few reviews to understand the title.  As one Goodreads reviewer bamed Beth stated "a tether is a rope or chain tied around an animal to restrict movement.  A silk tether can be slightly stretched..."  This makes sense in a novel about the bonds of family and society for 2 young girls who live in wealthy families in Karachi, Pakistan and who have been friends since the 3rd grade.

The story begins with a Prologue taking place in 2008 with a woman being questioned by TSA officials as she tries to enter the United States.  The story then moves to Karachi, Pakistan with a teenaged Ayla trying on clothes for an upcoming wedding and later at the wedding where Ayla becomes fascinated with the bride who does not seem happy. Next Ayla is off to school where a new student is introduced, Alia.  At first they do not like each other but soon become best friends.  When Ayla's mother invites some friends over to their house Ayla meets that bride, Tanzeena.  They soon become friends after an awkward start. As they grow both Ayla and Alia are pressured by their families to be traditional women and marry young. Both want to go to college, however.

I loved this novel.   The friendships among the women and their thoughts about the changing society that they lived in was eye opening for me.  The culture of a traditional Islamic country was on display here as well and was educational for me as well.  I highly recommend this novel to all who want to understand the world of Islamic countries.

The Health of Nations Book Review

I received a free copy of The Health of Nations Towards a World Without Contagious Disease by Karen Bartlett from the Early Reviewers group at Librarything.  It counts, however, as a selection for the New Authors Reading Challenge.  The Health of Nations is a history of the successes and failures of scientists to eradicate diseases such as smallpox and polio from the planet.

The book begins with a few chapters on the effort to eradicate smallpox from the planet.  The effort was successful!  The author then takes us to the fight to find a vaccine for polio as well as attempting to remove the disease from all nations.  A chapter on Bill Gates' activities in this effort is included.  The author continues her history of 20th century diseases with malaria, HIV, measles, and ebola.  The anti-vaccine movement is also covered.

I am a layperson and found the book to be an interesting read.  However, it is a must read for medical professionals.  It names the doctors and scientists who had involvement in each of these diseases and what their specific contributions were.  The politics of the medical profession as well as the activities of the World Health Organization are discussed in detail. This is a great resource for future generations as well.  Maintaining the history of the fight against these diseases is important.

Beardo The Art Degree Guarantee Book Review

I read Beardo The Art Degree Guarantee by Dan Dougherty for the Manga/Graphic Novel Challenge.  It was both written and illustrated by Dougherty and is Volume 1 of the Beardo series.  It was published in 2014.  The Art Degree Guarantee pokes fun at the coffee shop industry as well as the travails of those of us with art degrees.  It is Dougherty's autobiography.

The comic strip begins with Beardo at his graduation telling his father that the sky is the limit and quickly moves to him applying for a job at a coffee shop.  While trying to pursue his art career on the side Beardo has to deal with rude customers, wacky co-workers and new relationships. He is hilarious at it.  I have to wonder if the baristas that I know comment behind my back on the type of customer that I am when I am at a coffee shop. Beardo has made me a little paranoid.

I appreciate that the art work is colored. In fact, I try to purchase only colorful graphic novels.  The colors just speak to me for some reason and when I am down I always reach for a colored book.   The deep greens, yellows and oranges within this book lift my spirits every time I look at it.

I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read the other books in the series.

The Deadliest Sin Book Review

The Deadliest Sin was written by a group of medieval mystery authors who call themselves the Medieval Murderers.  It is their 10th collaborative effort.  The authors include Michael Jecks, Ian Morson, Susannah Gregory, Simon Beaufort, Philip Gooden, Bernard Knight and Karen Maitland.  Each author has written a separate chapter in the book that advances the plot.  Each chapter concerns one of the Bible's seven deadly sins which are lust, greed, gluttony, sloth, anger, envy, and pride.

The story begins in the spring of 1348 with rumors of the coming Plague scaring people into either becoming devout Christians, drinkers or to go on a pilgrimage.  A group of travelers meet at an inn in England.  The inn owner convinces his guests to tell everyone what they have seen in their travels. Each guest tells a tale about one of the deadliest sins that becomes a chapter in the book.

I love this series.  While some of the chapters are more interesting than others I feel that is to be expected in any anthology of stories.  All the chapters are well written and the authors' knowledge of medieval times is evident.  The differences in writing styles complement each other and creates one fabulous historical fiction book.   Anyone who loves medieval mysteries will love this book.

The Forbidden Daughter Book Review

I read The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal for the New Authors Reading Challenge.  It is a novel about how the selective abortion of female fetuses has been used by those who care about the old ways in order to produce only male heirs.

Isha Tilak and her husband Nikhil have one daughter, Priya.  Priya is treated abysmally by her grandparents compared to her male cousins but the family does not address the issue. When Isha becomes pregnant for the second time, an ultrasound is performed to check on the baby's health but also to check the baby's sex.  When Isha is found to be pregnant with a second girl her ob-gyn offers to perform an abortion.  In addition, her in-laws insist upon it. Selective abortion is not legal in 2006 India and Isha's Doctor, Dr. Karnik, has broken the law by offering to perform an abortion.  Nikhil is outraged and gathers information on Dr. Karnik but is unable to use it after he is mysteriously killed while at work.  Isha's in-laws blame the killing on the curse of the new baby but she is convinced it has something to do with Dr. Karnik's solution to her problem.

The Forbidden Daughter is a beautifully written book about modern Indian culture.  It gives an interesting look into the continued importance of having a male heir in today's society.  The author took on a tough subject and made it a captivating read.  I was spell bound by the main character Isha's decision to forgo her Brahman airs and go out on her own in order to raise her daughters. She overcomes the notion of how a well-bred woman should behave and becomes an independent woman.  

Dead Cold Brew Book Review

I read Cleo Coyle's Dead Cold Brew for the Craving for Cozies 2017 Reading Challenge.  Cleo Coyle is the pen name of the husband and wife writing team of Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini.  It is the 16th installment of their coffeehouse mystery series of which I have read them all. This series is modern and fast paced compared to other cozy mystery series which makes Dead Cold Brew a quick read.  I read it in one sitting.

The story opens with a scene from 1956 inside the sinking luxury cruise ship Andrea Doria where abused wife Angelica Campana and her 4 year old daughter Perla escape, but not until after Angelica holds her husband Gus's head down in the water rising in their room.  The story then moves to the present with coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi and her business partner, ex-husband Matteo Allegro discussing an exciting new business opportunity.  Matt and Clare have been invited to prepare a new coffee blend for a competition among coffee houses to sell their new blend to a cruise ship revival of the old Andrea Doria.  Wanting to do some research on the sunken ship, Matt suggests that she talk to his godfather Gus Campana who had been a passenger on the old ship.

While working on the blend Clare accepts an engagement ring from her long time cop boyfriend Mike Quinn. The ring has special coffee colored diamonds in its setting that were offered to Mike by Clare's boss and former mother-in-law Blanche Dreyfus Allegro DuBois who had previously worn them in a brooch. 

The plot moves in many directions.  A subplot concerning cops getting shot by snipers is prominent and there is alot of background information on the diamond trade which the Campana family is a part of.  

Dead Cold Brew is a welcome addition to the series.  As I mentioned earlier this book is fast paced.  It is modern.  There is mention of the characters having sex.  You would never see that in a traditional cozy. There is a subplot about cops getting shot at which is currently prominent in our national life.  This story covers alot of ground for a 307 page book and also includes coffee and dessert recipes at the end. Simply, a great read.

What's in a Name 2017 Reading Challenge

When I was blogging under the Mystery Bookshelf blog several years ago I always participated in this challenge.  It was fun roaming my local bookstore for titles that would fit the requirements.  I am joining again under my new blog.

Participants are required to choose a book from each of the following categories:

1.  A number in the title
2.  A building
3.  A title which has the letter x in it
4.  A compass direction
5.  An item of cutlery
6.  A title in which 2 words begin with the same letter

Titles cannot overlap from other challenges in this challenge which is hosted by The Worm Hole blog.

2017 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

I am joining the 2017 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge at the Renaissance Reader level.  This requires that I read 10 books.  The challenge is hosted by the Passages to the Past blog and runs the 2017 calendar year.  I love the medieval era and will be reading some medieval mysteries in addition to other eras within the Historical Fiction genre

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The Creativity Reading Challenge

I plan on using the Creativity Reading Challenge to concentrate on reviewing art and craft books.  I may even venture into reviewing a cookbook or two.

I started spinning fiber into yarn this past year and am anxious to read a few books on spinning and watch some dvds.  It is a fun hobby that I am still learning.  On to the challenge!