Deliberate Duplicity

Deliberate Duplicity is David Rohlfing's debut novel. It is the first installment of the Sasha Frank Mysteries, a police procedural series. The author is a retired businessman and I am blown away at his ability to craft a magnificent novel with no prior work in the writing world. Deliberate Duplicity will keep you up at night reading until you finish the book. It grabbed me from the first chapter mainly because it takes place somewhere I used to live but the suspenseful chapter endings grabbed my attention too.

When bodies begin to appear along the Constitution Trail in the Bloomington Normal twin cities, detective Sasha Frank is assigned to investigate.  The killer has a particular method of staging the bodies.  He/she poses them in a park with their eyelids glued open and he kills every ten days.  The book is more a howdunnit that a whodunnit.  The police cannot find decent clues to the killer's identity until the fifth death occurs.  What the readers sees in this book are the meticulous methods used in investigating a homicide. 

It was interesting to see the strange way that the serial killer set up the murders to avoid getting caught.  The reader gets a glimpse into the mind of a serial killer as the book is written from the point of view of both the police and the killer. The book does not follow the traditional serial killer formula. Most of these type of books begin with establishing the main character and then show a sequence of unsolved crimes.  Normally there is an unrelated subplot but there wasn't one here.  However, the usual bureaucracy in a police department is shown in the novel.  

If you like serial killer novels, this one is for you.  4 out of 5 stars.

Now and Then Stab

Now and Then Stab is the seventh Francis Bacon Mystery novel by Anna Castle.  I thought that the series ended a few years ago when The Spymaster's Brother was published in 2019. However, it will continue. The eighth book in the series will be published in 2022.

The story opens in the Spring of 1593 when a ballad promoting violence against immigrants is found posted on the Dutch Church door in the center of London. After the Lord Mayor promises a 100 crown reward to the person who can identifiy the author, Tom Clarady begins to investigate. He needs that money in order to file legal papers to assert his livery in the Court of Wards.  Tom interviews poets while his patron Francis Bacon analyzes the verse. At first, this investigation is solely about collecting the reward. After two of Britain's best poets are targeted, both are killed. One of them dies after being tortured for information and the other dies under dubious circumstances. Christopher Marlowe, one of Tom's friends from his Cambridge University days, is killed after starting a brawl in a pub. However, Tom doesn't believe Marlowe started the fight and thinks he was murdered.

This novel is one of the best in the series. The period is, as usual, meticulously researched. Our real-life Francis Bacon was at odds with Queen Elizabeth in 1593. The author wrote this fact into her novel to add to its authenticity. English poet Marlowe was, likewise, killed in a bar room brawl. These facts are only background information to the plot, which moved forward quickly. 

The characters are lovable, even the stern Francis Bacon.  I love how their lives advance significantly with each novel.  Here, Francis is about to receive the promotion he has longed for and Tom's love affair with Alice "Trumpet" Trumpington continues after her marriage.  Tom, Trumpet and Tom's university friends provide lightweight fare while Francis Bacon's serious demeanor offers a contrast.

Another great installment of the series!  5 out of 5 stars.

One by One

 

One by One is a modern locked room mystery, offering technology with old-fashioned suspense.  Locked room mysteries consist of a key set of ingredients: a fixed location, a fixed set of characters and a murder or two.  There is a striking aspect to this novel which I doubt the author intended as it must have been written before its 2020 publication date.  The characters, as well as the readers, are confined in isolation.  Sound like a pandemic? 

The publisher's summary of the plot:

"When the co-founder of Snoop, a trendy London based tech startup, organizes a weeklong trip for the team in the French Alps, it starts out as a corporate retreat like any other:  PowerPoint presentations and strategy sessions broken up by mandatory bonding on the slopes.  But as soon as one shareholder sends the agenda by pushing a lucrative but contentious buyout offer, tensions simmer and loyalties are tested. The storm brewing inside the chalet is no match for the one outside, however, and a devastating avalanche leaves the group cut off from all access to the outside world. Even worse, one Snooper hasn't made it back from the slopes when the avalanche hit.  As each hour cases without any sign of rescue, panic mounts, the chalet grows colder, and the group dwindles further . . . one by one."

I loved this book! There were a few hiccups, though. There are nine major characters in the novel.  Initially, it was hard to remember who was who. Once I got them all firmly set in my mind, I could not put the book down. The suspense was riveting. Another hiccup is that the story is told from the point of view of two characters. I could not tell the difference between them because their personalities were similar. I am not sure why the author wrote the story in this way but these points of view didn't make a difference in how the plot unfolded. However, the suspense was ratcheted up high and it carried the novel. 

I will definitely be reading more of Ware.  4 out of 5 stars.

Vendetta

Vendetta is another fantastic historical mystery by Christine De Melo, this one set in Venice in 1570. The publisher has summarized it best:  "Under the guise of "Beto," seventeen-year-old Isabetta Bastian runs her father's successful shipping business. Her older brother sails their commercial galley between Venice and Lisbon, exporting exotic spices obtained by the Portugese.  A heinous crime shatters her ideal life and a risky attempt to save the family business ends in failure.  Now, Isabetta is forced to live with the harsh consequences.  Resentment brews until she seeks the advice of her sophisticated neighbor, Veronica Franco.  With the savvy courtesan's help, Isabetta devises a scheme to avenge her loved ones but will her fall from grace be worth a brilliant vendetta?"

There is a lesson for everyone here.  While at one time or another we all plan to get revenge against someone, the courtesan's advice to Isabetta is insightful: can you accept the outcome of your revenge?  I don't think our Isabetta understood what the fallout would be of her plan to avenge her murdered father and brother. She was just seventeen and had no real life experiences yet as she has been sheltered by her parents.  As with most of De Melo's novels, Isabetta is a woman with a desire to have a man's job, something seemingly impossible during the Renaissance period of time.  It is a theme I never get tired of reading about.  In Vendetta, Isabetta's dream of working in the shipping business is affected in a myriad of ways be her vendetta.  Yes, you reap what you sow.

5 out of 5 stars!

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line is Deepak Anappara's debut novel.  It concerns three friends who are searching for a missing classmate and is based on a real-life story.  The novel tells of children living in a slum in a fictional Indian city who are disappearing.

Nine-year-old Jai is upset that his best friend Bahadur has gone missing.  No one knew that Bahadur had gone missing until three weeks after he was last seen at home with his parents. His mother then contacted the police to find him.  Believing that Bahadur has run away from home, Jai gathers two other friends to help him find Bahadur. Pari and Faiz work with Jai and together they decide that a criminal called Quarter is their first suspect.  The threesome walk down market lanes, passing people, dogs, food stalls and tin-roofed houses all the way to the local train station, which is the end of the purple metro line where Jai's father works.  When the three kids are unable to find Quarter at his usual hangout, the Bhoot (ghost) Bazaar, they decide the next step is to interview the press-wallah's son Omvir.  However, Omvir is not home because he also is out searching for Bahadur.  The owner of Hakim's TV Repair Shop suggests that a djinn kidnapped Bahadur even though djinns rarely abduct children.  The trio go to the purple line train station and show passersby Bahadur's photo.  Jai uses the sleuthing skills he obtained from watching reality police shows on TV to conduct his investigation.  When other children start disappearing from their neighborhood, Jai, Pari and Faiz talk to the terrified parents and a couple of indifferent police officers all while discussing rumors of soul-snatching djinns. 

I had a hard time classifying this book in a genre. When I began reading it I thought it was a historical mystery. Later I realized it was not historical. What confused me was the level of impoverishment in Jai's basti (slum).  I couldn't imagine that type of poverty existed today. However, it does exist. In slums all over India 187 children disappear each day. This fact is what prompted the author to choose this subject for her novel. The next difficulty I had in determining the genre was that the book didn't read like a mystery. While Jai, Pari and Faiz were investigating the disappearance of their neighbors, they are kids and kids don't "investigate" the same way as amateur sleuths or detectives investigate. The point of view from which everything occurs is from nine year old Jai's eyes. In some respects it  seems like a children's book. How do I classify the book? As a novel. 

The slum setting is integral to the story. Part of this setting includes the names and faces of many characters, most of whom have nothing to do with the plot and some who are only mentioned once. The author is creating a scene for the reader to help us understand what a slum looks like; people living upon each other.  It is grim.  With the point of view being from a child, it was a little difficult to figure out who all the characters were because the kids gave everyone a nickname. Towards the end of the story we learn most of their real names but after 300 pages of identifying characters by a nickname this didn't make sense.

As the historical mystery that I expected, the book fell short. Knowing now what the genre actually is, I would say that this is a great book.  4 our of 5 stars.

The Glass Ocean

The Glass Ocean has a dual plot that takes place in 1915 and the present day. It concerns the sinking of the Lusitania and the British Langford family.  The story opens in May 2013 with author Sarah Blake struggling to come up with an idea for a new book. In desperation, she broke a promise to her Alzheimer stricken mother and opened an old chest that belonged to her great-grandfather who died when the RMS Lusitania was sunk by the Germans. What she discovered could change history. Sarah then traveled to England to  enlist the help of John Langford, a disgraced member of Parliament, whose family archives might contain the key to the catastrophe.

This plot alternates with one set in April 1915. Caroline Hochstetter believes that her marriage to Gilbert Hochstetter is on the rocks as Gilbert is no longer attentive to her. He is preoccupied with work. When Gilbert suggests that they travel to England in the best suite on the Lusitania, Caroline hopes that they can become closer. However, her attraction to old friend Robert Langford  becomes a problem when he also books passage on the ship.  Another character is part of this plot. Tessa Fairweather is also traveling on the Lusitania, but in second class. Tessa has been supporting herself for years by stealing and forging artworks. Tessa's sister plans a robbery on the ship that will financially set both of them up for life.

As a cruise fan, I loved the ship setting. It reminded me of the cruises that I have had and makes me dream of booking another trip even though we are living in a pandemic. The descriptions of the dinner menus and dining room made me drool. If only I could cook as well as the onboard chefs.  Also, the action that took place on the promenades had me remembering my own walks on those public places. 

The characters were fully developed and engaging. I loved the twosome thieves Tessa and her sister Ginny. They are experienced thieves who have never gotten caught in their decades of crime.  While we learn about Tessa's inner thoughts, Ginny is a mystery to the reader. She appears on pages where action is occurring and the plot is advanced as we learn bit by bit what their robbery plan is all about.  Gilbert Hochstetter is the stereotypical neglectful husband. We don't learn much about his psyche. What type of business he in is only revealed at the end. The reader knows alot more about Robert Langford. He is a suave, womanizing gentleman that all women are attracted to even though they all know he gets around.  His life also is revealed in action scenes as well as in the present day plot with Sarah Blake. I didn't like the Sarah or John Langford characters as much as I liked those in the 1915 plot. However, that probably can be expected in a novel with a dual plot. One of the plots is always more appealing.

I absolutely loved this novel. It has me dreaming of a Balticc Sea or South American cruise. 5 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday

I can't wait for February to arrive.  One of my favorite authors will be publishing her latest novel. Stacy Green's One Perfect Grave will be published on February 25, 2021. I loved her debut novel The Girls in the Snow. She writes tight psychological thrillers that would make entertaining movies.

I am also anxiously waiting the publication of a new graphic novel by Jerome Mulot. The Grand Odalisque will be published on February 9.  In this comic two childhood friends make plans to steal a painting from the Louvre.  It is an 1814 painting by Ingres titled The Grand Odalisque. An odalisque is a concubine so I am wondering if that is the scene in the art work. I love art mysteries of every genre and expect this will become another great entry in this genre.

With No One As Witness

Elizabeth George's books run hot and cold for me. With No One As Witness was lukewarm.  The mystery to be solved was interesting in the beginning but I got bogged down in all of the British words that I did not know the meaning of. The book read slowly for me.  At 627 pages, this book qualifies as a selection for the Chunkster Challenge.

The publisher's summary is below:  

"When an adolescent boy's nude body is found draped over a tomb in a graveyard, the police recognize the work of a serial killer who's been murdering boys in London.  This is the killer's fourth victim but the first to be white.  Hoping to avoid charges of institutionalized prejudice in their failure to pursue the earlier crimes to their conclusion, New Scotland Yard takes the case and hands it over to Detective Constable Barbara Haverstraw and Detective Sergeant Winston Natalie.  The killer is a psychopath who does not intend to be stopped.  But a devastating tragedy within their ranks causes the police to fumble in their pursuit, which may bring more fatal consequences."

This is a slow moving book. In addition to all of the unfamiliar British words, the abundance of descriptions made this book painfully slow. For example, an entire page may contain only a description of what a character wore or what a room or street looked like. Put two or three of these pages together and you get a bored reader. The author's note at the conclusion of the story states she is an American writing a novel set in England. I would never have guessed she was American. In fact, I thought that the book may have been written for a European audience. The plot was lost amidst this backdrop.

A disappointing read. 2 out of 5 stars. 

Piece of my Heart

 

Piece Of My Heart is the 65th book that Mary Higgins Clark has written and the 6th with co-author Alafair Burke.  Since Clark died one year ago I assume that this is her last novel.  I haven't heard about any unpublished manuscripts from her.  The last novel that she wrote on her own was Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry which was published in 2019.  I am going to miss her but all good things must come to an end.  She lived a great life and lived to a ripe 92 years of age.  

In Piece of My Heart TV producer Laurie Moran and her fiance Alex Buckley, criminal defense attorney and the former host of her investigative television show, are just days away from their August wedding when events take a dark turn.  While vacationing in the Hamptons with their family and friends, Alex's seven-year-old nephew Johnny vanishes from the beach while playing with Laurie's 10-year-old son Timmy.  The boys had been supervised by Laurie's babysitter and her girlfriend but an attractive lifeguard had caught their attention.  A search party begins and witnesses recall Johnny playing in the water and collecting sea shells behind a beach shack.  However, no one remembers seeing him after the morning.  As the sun sets, Johnny's skim board washes up to shore and everyone realizes that he could be dead.  When it appears that he was kidnapped, the question arises whether he was the actual target or was another boy the target. Laurie's father, a former NYPD officer, believes that the abduction could be related to a murder case that he handled eighteen years ago.  Laurie decides to do a show on that eighteen year old case and possibly connect it to Johnny's disappearance.

As you would expect from Mary Higgins Clark, this novel is suspense at its best.  Not only does each chapter end with suspense but so do the pages and paragraphs. I don't know anyone who can write suspense this well and it's a cliche to say that in her books there are lots of twists, turns and suspects to keep you reading. The characters were all compelling, even the villains.  The secondary characters had just as much prominence as the main characters, Laurie and Alex. Alex's brother and sister-in-law, Marcy and Andrew Buckley, were the parents of the missing child.  Laurie's father Leo Farley was also prominent as he was able to use his work in law enforcement to help Laurie investigate the crime. There were five additional characters who were possible villains and their backgrounds were fully developed by the authors.  On top of that there were three characters affiliated with the villains whose lives were interwoven into the story.  How all of these characters are connected is a mystery for the reader.

I am sad that this is my final review of Clark's novels.  Perhaps I should begin rereading them in the order of publication.  That would be fun and I know that I have only reviewed the last 10 of them so the reviews would be new.  5 out of 5 stars!

Followed

 

I loved Helen Macie Osterman's Emma Winberry mystery series so when I found her book Followed, I knew that I had to read it. It is a cozy mystery and is a stand alone novel.

Meg Lewis feels that she is being followed. Soon she sees a blue car every night driving past her grandmother's home where Meg lives with her daughter and grandmother. Meg recognizes the driver as a man who visited a patient at the hospital where she works at as a nurse.  Taking precautions, Meg doesn't let her daughter Becky out of her sight. Meg's grandmother, Lillian Sparks, decides to get a dog and install an electric fence for added security. However, the first time they become lax in watching Becky, Becky and her dog disappear from the back yard. 

While the book follows a mystery formula, there is also some romance. Meg has begun dating a young doctor who she met at work. Curt Williams is the perfect boyfriend who also loves Meg's daughter. Grandmother Lil also has a boyfriend. Together this fivesome would make a great family, that is, if they ever get hitched. 

Followed is a traditional cozy with no sex or violence. I assumed all would end well in the plot since this is a cozy, but there was still a mystery concerning how it would happen. I devoured the book in one sitting. It was the perfect respite for a snowy afternoon.

5 out of 5 stars.

Wicked Things 3, 4, 5 and 6

John Allison's Wicked Things story is continued in volumes 3 through 6.  Here we see the main character Charlotte Grote beginning her work investigating crimes for the police while she awaits her fate as an accused murderer. Grote is accused of killing a Japanese teen who was her competitor for a teen sleuth award.  He will be able to tell the police who attacked him when he comes out of a coma.  She is given an apartment to live in but must wear an electronic tracking device.

Grote is assigned to make coffee for the police officers.  They don't trust her to do police work until she comes up with a tip on how a burglary that they are investigating occurred.  Thousands of copies of the hottest new cell phone were stolen from a factory.  Grote figures out that this was an inside job and that the phones could have been sold in a pop-up shop.  She and the police track the phones to a pop-up shop but it had already been shut down with the thieves disappearing.  She then  goes undercover at a casino while the police investigate a robbery. Surprisingly, at the end of volume 6 Grote is released from custody as she has been absolved of the murder of the teen sleuth.

I love this comic and hate to see it end with volume 6. It was hard to wait for each new volume to be published as the plot moved fast and each volume had a suspenseful ending. Wicked Things had a great run in 2020. The first volume was published in March 2020 and the series ended in October 2020. It is a continuation of the Giant Days comic. I wonder what is next for author John Allison?

RIP Sharon Kay Penman

I just heard the awful news that historical novelist Sharon Kay Penman passed away on January 22, 2021 from pneumonia. I have read every one of her books and loved them all.  She will be sorely missed.  Ms. Penman published her first book in 1982 and her last novel was published last year. Her stories took place in the 12th and 13th centuries and were meticulously researched. The medieval period is my favorite era so I am going to miss her greatly.  She was 75.

Book of the Month for January, 2021

My favorite book this month is The Midnight Library.  It made me think hard about what I want most in life and the need to be active in trying to obtain it. Keeping decisions on hold because you can't decide what to do is fatal to a good life.  The Midnight Library is a fable about being inbetween life and death. There are an infinite number of shelves inside the library where every book is a chance to live your life differently.  All you need to do is change the decisions you made in life so that you have no regrets.