Hard Eight

Hard Eight is the 8th book in the Stephanie Plum comedic mystery series. Author Janet Evanovich just published #31 so this is a lengthy series. In fact, Evanovich has stated that the series will never end. I selected this book for the Clock Reading Challenge. The Challenge Rules require a number from 1 through 12 to be in the title.

With this installment of the series Stephanie is  asked by her parents' next-door neighbor, Mabel Markowitz, to find her granddaughter, Evelyn and great-granddaughter, Annie, who have disappeared. During a messy divorce with her ex-husband, Steven Soter, Evelyn was forced to post a child custody bond, and Mabel used her house as collateral. If Evelyn is not found, then the bond company will foreclose on her house, and the money will be forfeited to Steven. Mabel asks for Stephanie's help, since as a bounty hunter she is the closest thing Mabel knows to aaa detective. Stephanie is unable to refuse, even though she is not a private investigator.

The plot was light on action but heavy on the comedy. I found it difficult to maintain interest in the story because there were so many funny statements. I prefer a tight mystery that has no fluff and Evanovich is all fluff. I am not sure whether I will read more of the series for the Clock Reading Challenge or not. I might go back to one of Luana Ehrlich's series. Neither of these authors excite me much but they're the only authors I have found with numbers in their titles.

2 out of 5 stars.

Ruined

Ruined was published in November 2023. It is a Regency-era romance graphic novel about the unexpected passion that bloomed from a marriage of convenience. This reminds me of a show I love, Bridgerton, from the dresses to the parties.

The publisher's summary:

The whole town is whispering about how Catherine Benson lost her virtue, though they can never agree on the details. Was it in the public garden? Or a moving carriage?

Only a truly desperate man would want her now—and that’s exactly what Andrew Davener is. His family’s estate is in disrepair, but Catherine’s sizeable dowry could set it to rights.

After the two wed, Catherine finds herself inexplicably drawn to Andrew. But could falling in love with her husband tear her marriage apart? In this richly detailed Regency romance, duty and passion collide in a slow-burn tale of intertwined fates.

Ruined is a sweet Regency story.  Our heroine was caught having pre-marital sex, in the bushes, with a man who was engaged to someone else. The villagers could not resist gossiping about her and her father was horrified at what she had done. Catherine's father made a quick wedding arrangement with an aristocratic family that needed money. In a few short weeks Catherine was married to Andrew Davener and taken to live at Davener House. The house was in a state of disrepair with a leaky roof and old furniture. Much of the family jewels had been sold to pay for some repairs. 

There were problems with the marriage from the start because Catherine and Andrew did not know each other, let alone love each other. Catherine did not want to consummate the marriage until she received proof of love from Andrew. He left her bedroom on their wedding night promising not to return unless she asked him to. Catherine threw herself into renovating her new home but did not have much contact with her husband, except at meal time. Both were abrupt with each other.  When Andrew asked her what she expected from the marriage she stated that she wanted love letters and poetry. Thus began their dance around each other as they slowly began to get to know one another. There were 4 or 5 problems that they encountered during this time period but eventually love won out. 

The plot had several twists and turns in the relationship that gave the story an air of mystery. I knew that they would end up together because, after all, this is a Regency romance. There were 3 other couples involved in the plot and one of them was gay, which was covered up by the two ladies working in the same business.  The ending was a happily ever after. 

I would love to see a sequel but do not know if that is in the author's plans.  We shall see.  I am rating the book 4 out of 5 stars. The story was good and the drawings were superb, colored in bright colors.

Can't Wait Wednesday #33

The book that I am anxiously awaiting publication is Mel Starr's newest book in his medieval mystery Hugh de Singleton series. The Way of the Wicked will be published on September 19, 2024. It's the 17th installment of the series and we read that Kendrick Wroe has been poaching fish from a lord. Oh my goodness gracious! One of Kendrick's friends is murdered and another one is in peril.  To make matters worse, Kendrick's daughter Bessie is abducted. As people begin searching for her, a member of a plow team dies in mysterious circumstances. Hugh has a lot of murders to investigate but readers of this series know that he will solve every question that is put to him.

Red Sky Mourning

Red Sky Mourning is the first book that I have read by Jack Carr. It is the 7th book in his Terminal List series and it was fantastic. The main character, Navy Seal sniper James Reece, races to dismantle a conspiracy that has forced the U. S. to her knees. 

The publisher's summary:

A storm is on the horizon. America’s days are numbered. A Chinese submarine has gone rogue and is navigating towards the continental United States, putting its nuclear missiles within striking distance of the West Coast. A rising Silicon Valley tech mogul with unknown allegiances is at the forefront of a revolution in quantum computing and Artificial Intelligence. A politician controlled by a foreign power is a breath away from the Oval Office.

Three seemingly disconnected events are on a collision course to ignite a power grab unlike anything the world has ever seen. The country’s only hope is a quantum computer that has gone dark, retreating to the deepest levels of the internet, learning at a rate inconceivable at her inception. But during her time in hiding, she has done more than learn. She has become a weapon. She is now positioned to act as either the country’s greatest savior or its worst enemy. She is known as “Alice” and her only connection to the outside world is to a former Navy SEAL sniper named James Reece who has left the violence of his past life behind.

I enjoyed this novel but believe it could have been at least 100 pages shorter than it's 560 pages. There were 100 pages in the first half of the story that centered on Reece's relationships with other characters. I think it was not necessary as it didn't affect the plot much. That said, if I had read the first 6 books in the series I might have a different opinion. The writing was thrilling enough for me to determine that I need to read the entire series.

James Reece is a sympathetic character. He is not as macho as other spy thriller characters which makes him seem more human. Of course, the examples of that human essence are in those 100 pages I complained about earlier. Maybe I just don't know what I am talking about here! The plot concerning China's desire to steal information from the U.S. government could have been taken off the front pages of the newspapers. Their uncaring attitude toward their citizens is on display as they plot and execute a plan to destroy one of their submarines. Again, this is another idea that could have come from the front pages of the media. The author has certainly created suspense from painting a picture of China that is realistic in western minds. 

Red Sky Mourning is a realistic portrait of how a war between the U.S. and China could unfold. The author shows us that a conventional war will never be fought again among the superpowers. Cybercrime is the future. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Sins of our Fathers

The Sins of Our Fathers: Spies of Atlantis is the first novel in the Forbidden Hymns series. It waas published in May 2024. The story takes us to the legendary island of Atlantis when it is at the pinnacle of its glory. I received a free ARC from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.

The publisher's summary:

Serellia and Dilala, devoted cultists of the goddess of war, navigate a treacherous web of conspiracy and deceit in their quest to thwart a notorious Minoan spy. Follow Barekbaal, a Canaanite merchant, as he strives to carve out a simple existence for himself and his crew, only to find himself ensnared in the machinations of foreign powers and ancient deities.

But amidst the chaos and turmoil, one young man, Marko, struggles to find his place in a world where the sins of the past cast long shadows over the present. As he seeks to honor his mother and follow in the footsteps of his father, Marko finds himself drawn into a destiny that is as mysterious as it is inevitable—a destiny bound by a song that echoes through the ages, known as the Forbidden Hymn.

The story takes place in 1258 BC in Atlantis. Even though Atlantis is a fictional island that was often written about by Plato, it is something that we all seem to know enough about. That said, within the Atlantean territory of Evaemon lays its capital, the port city of Hakon Evae. It is here that plots are formed, there is a feeling of an impending uprising and people are chafing at the confines and choices that were made for them by their predecessors.

It was difficult to learn the terminology. The book is advertised as both fantasy and historical fiction, a genre combination that I have never heard of. I am still wondering whether the combination works. In fact, I am confused. There were too many characters to get to know and too many deities to learn. I got bogged down from the start of the story. While there is an index of characters at the back of the book, it's not something you want to keep referring to when you are reading. 

Fantasy stories are not my forte. Every once in awhile I read fantasy and can usually figure out the action. Sins of the Fathers overwhelmed me with it's extensive world building. I just didn't care for the book.

Ogi: A History of the Japanese Fan

Ogi, A History of the Japanese Fan is an over-sized picture book on Japanese fans. It comes inside an impressive gold binder. Per Wikipedia, Ogi (扇) is a "folding fan thought to have originated in Japan in the 7th century, initially made of thin strips of bamboo or cypress threaded together. Fans were not only a practical way to keep cool, but also used to communicate important information and were status symbols in the samurai and upper classes." To me it's a coffee table book, but one with information for buyers of these gorgeous fans.

The book consists primarily of 112 pages photos of fans, with small paragraph descriptions interspersed, throughout the book. The authors, from the British Museum, have divided the fans into fifteen eras, from 10,000 BCE to the present. They have then organized fans into three categories: traditional Japanese fans, Japanese export fans and advertising, commemorative and contemporary fans. Each of these categories contain fans from their inception in 10,000 BCE to the present. Basically, Ogi is a museum book for an exhibition of fans in Britain. It has outstanding photos and I love to peruse its pages for relaxation.

Art lovers will enjoy this book. 5 out of 5 stars.

Kokeshi Dolls

I bought this book on Japanese kokeshi dolls in order to prepare for an upcoming trip to Japan. I know that I will be buying some arty souvenirs and these wooden dolls have peaked my interest. The book offers an inside look at kokeshi dolls from the woodworkers behind their design to their important cultural significance. You can see the simplicity and charm of these traditional Japanese dolls. They are known for their cylindrical shape and distinctive absence of arms and legs. Originally crafted as children's toys in Japan's Tohoku region in the mid 1800s, these dolls have evolved into sought-after collector's items, inspiring renowned architects and artists worldwide.

In this visual guide, readers will find the following:

• An overview of the various Kokeshi doll types

• How kokeshi dolls are crafted, including information on tools and woods used

• Interviews with leading kokeshi craftspeople worldwide

• Detailed information on both traditional and modern Kokeshi dolls

• An exploration of the cultural significance, both historically and in the post-earthquake and tsunami rebuilding efforts of northern Japan in 2011

• A guide to visiting Japan's kokeshi regions

• Tips on purchasing these dolls directly from Japanese artisans or through global stockists

Filled with artist interviews, gorgeous photos and firsthand travel experience, author Manami Okazaki has created a book to be enjoyed by all, from serious collectors to woodcrafters, interior designers, architects, armchair travelers and anyone with an interest in Japanese culture and travel. Kokeshi dolls are crafted in 12 different styles. I would list them but few folks would understand the words. Basically, the styles are named after the region in which they were created. This book has separate chapters on each style of doll.

The book has been a fantastic resource for me. I know what styles I like and want to purchase. Also, I know which artisans that I want to buy from but am still not sure how to find their studios. I will need a Japanese interpreter for sure. There are several photos on each page which makes for a fun coffee table book. 

Kokeshi Dolls is a fantastic resource for art lovers and I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

A History of Japan in Manga

I loved reading this graphic history of Japan.  What initially attracted me to the book is the color palette. The book has line drawings colored in a cool pink. Pink is my favorite color. The book tells the Japanese saga from its misty origins up to the present day. Epic battles, noble Samurai and duplicitous leaders are all portrayed in modern manga fashion. The stories in this book include:

• The Birth of Buddhism and the transition from hunters-gatherers to agricultural societies of ancient times;

• Savage battles between the Taira and Minamoto clans that led to the powerful warlord Minamoto no Yoritomo naming himself Japan's first Shogun;

• A decade-long struggle for domination of Japan in which thousands of Samurai fought and tragically lost their lives; known as the Onin Wars.

•  Loyal Samurai who vowed to avenge the death of their master, choosing honor over surrender and being forced to commit mass ritual suicide as a result;

•  A dramatic last stand by Samurai loyal to the Shogun who revolted against the new Meiji government and its plans to finally modernize Japan; known as the Satsuma Rebellion.

This history is told with plenty of portraits, manga stories, maps and informational sidebars that bring the entire sweep of Japanese history into life in one easy-to-read book. I have been using it along with other Japanese travel guides to prepare for my October trip. One place that I will be visiting is a samurai village. Without knowing much about the samurai, this book helped me decide to spend some time there.

4 out of 5 stars.

Shadow of Doubt

Shadow of Doubt is the 23rd Scot Harvath spy thriller from Brad Thor. In this installment of the series the reader sees how the Russian government invests in penetrating other governments in order to gain knowledge and advantage. The book was published on August 6, 2024.

The publisher's summary: 

A mysterious cargo plane, flanked by a squadron of Russia’s most lethal fighters, has just taken off from a remote airbase. Closely monitored by the United States, no one inside the Pentagon has any idea where it’s going or what it’s carrying.

A high-level Russian defector, a walking vault of secrets that could shatter the West, seeks asylum in Norway. Across the continent, in the heart of Paris, a lone French agent stumbles upon a conspiracy so explosive it could ignite a global firestorm.

As alarm bells ring in Washington, the CIA’s most lethal weapon, Scot Harvath, is forced to choose between his conscience and his country.

The story opens with the Estonian Air Defense tracking Russian military planes moving south. Latvian Air Defense confirmed the launch. The Latvians then stated that the planes entered Belarus, which the Lithuanian Air Defense confirmed. Two days later the president of Belarus made a TV statement that he had received missiles and bombs from Russian that were three times more powerful than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima. After a French intelligence officer is murdered with an axe, we see Harvath being escorted off a plane in Oslo by the Norwegian Police Service. A pulsating plot then begins to unfold.

Shadow of Doubt has two plots. The second one cannot begin until the end of the first. What most readers would recognize as the premier plot concerns gaining control over Russian defector Leonid Grechko, a high ranking person in Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.  Harvath's fiancé, a Norwegian named Solvi, is in charge of transferring Grechko to the CIA. As such, Solvi plays a huge role in the story. Harvath comes up with a round about way to obtain Grechko in custody by kidnapping his girlfriend from a Russian oligarch. If Grechko can convince his girlfriend to come with him, then Harvath can gain control of Grechko. The guy was seriously in love. 

In order to obtain information about the Russian missiles in Belarus, Harvath has to get to Grechko. We don't read much about these missiles, only that Grechko has agreed to tell all if he can just see his girlfriend one more time. The secondary plot is half of the book. Here, Harvath wants to kill a man who was part of the group that killed his wife. I cannot remember any secondary plot in the series that took up this much writing. 

It is unusual for a Harvath novel to begin with a threat to the West and then not expound on it. That was disappointing to me. However, the book was still suspenseful and had a lot of gun fighting. I expected to read more about those missiles, though.

I am rating the book 4 out of 5 stars. It was riveting but there are some plot issues.

A Geek in Japan

 

I saw this travel guide at my local Barnes and Noble. Its pages appear similar to a comic book format but it is not a comic.  I figured that the page design would help me retain information easily so I bought it. It was published in 2019. The guidebook covers a wide array of topics in short articles accompanied by sidebars and numerous photographs. It provides a lively digest of the society and culture of Japan. The book was designed to appeal to the generations of westerners who grew up on pokemon, manga and video games. This audience description does not describe myself. However, I found the book to be a fantastic resource.

Spotlighting the originality and creativity of the Japanese, debunking myths about them, and answering nagging questions like why they're so fond of robots, author Hector Garcia has created the perfect book for the growing ranks of Japanophiles in this highly informative guide. It has sections on Japanese culture, history, work life, music, TV and movies. Each section has photos and sidebars and short articles on each topic.  The sidebars are what make the book look like a comic book. The humor also gives it that comic book feel.

I am preparing for a month long visit to Japan in 6 weeks and have read several guidebooks. A Geek In Japan has its place among them all. The information contained in the book rates somewhere between a comprehensive travel guide and light reading.  I am rating it 3 out of 5 stars.

Peach Tea Smash

Peach Tea Smash is another great cozy mystery from Laura Childs. It's the 28th installment of the Indigo Tea Shop Mystery Series and was published on August 6, 2024. Our heroine Theodosia Browning is catering the Mad Hatter Masquerade, a fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Opera on the grounds of the old Pendleton Grist Mill in Charleston. During the event Harlan Sadler, husband of Cricket Sadler, the chairwoman, is killed. He’s been hit in the head with a croquet mallet, and his body hung on the chains and paddles of the grist mill. Nobody can figure out why anyone would want to kill him since Harlan was beloved by everyone. Ate first the murder seems to a result of the victim’s profession, banking, but there’s a possibility the murderer is someone in his family. Harlan's son Duke is a slum landlord and recently injured a woman in a boating accident. When one of the chief suspects is murdered both Theodora and Detective Tidwell, are clueless.  The tea shop continues to be the staging area for their sleuthing. 

One of the things I love about the Tea Shop Mystery series is that the murder always occurs in the first chapter so that the rest of the book can be about the investigation into the whodunnit.  I also love the specialty tea events that Theo holds in the Indigo Tea Shop. In this story we read about the Regency Tea, Chocolate Tea and Book Lovers Tea. When each tea party is being planned the reader learns about the decorations as well as the foods that were served. We also learn why they were chosen. Recipes are in the back of the book.

Theo's sleuthing was rather aggressive in the story. She broke into a suspect's house, accused another of possibly being a murderer during her "interview" with him and got up on a horse to stop yet another suspect from killing a fourth. When she tells Detective Tidwell about these activities, he isn't angry which is uncharacteristic of him. I liked the arguments between the two of them in earlier novels. Tidwell hasn't played much of a role in the past several books and it's time for him to return. Theo's forwardness is new and while this required a huge suspension of belief, it is good for the series. I was happy, though, that Theo's nightly jogs with her dog were not used to obtain clues. This has been overdone in the series. I applaud the author for changing up the method of obtaining clues as it keeps these stories fresh. 

So how do you make a peach tea smash? With white tea, half a peach and bourbon. 5 out of 5 stars.

A Death in Cornwall

A Death in Cornwall is the 27th installment of the Gabriel Allon spy thriller series but just the 5th to be set in Cornwall. Many years ago he spent time in the region following the murder of his first family. It was here that he met a boy named Timothy Peel. Peel, now grown, now works as a detective sergeant with the Devon and Cornwall Police Department.

The publisher's summary:

Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon has slipped quietly into London to attend a reception at the Courtauld Gallery celebrating the return of a stolen self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh. But when an old friend from the Devon and Cornwall Police seeks his help with a baffling murder investigation, he finds himself pursuing a powerful and dangerous new adversary.

The victim is Charlotte Blake, a celebrated professor of art history from Oxford who spends her weekends in the same seaside village where Gabriel once lived under an assumed identity. Her murder appears to be the work of a diabolical serial killer who has been terrorizing the Cornish countryside. But there are a number of telltale inconsistencies, including a missing mobile phone. And then there is the mysterious three-letter cypher she left behind on a notepad in her study.

Gabriel soon discovers that Professor Blake was searching for a looted Picasso worth more than a $100 million, and he takes up the chase for the painting as only he can—with six Impressionist canvases forged by his own hand and an unlikely team of operatives that includes a world-famous violinist, a beautiful master thief, and a lethal contract killer turned British spy. The result is a stylish and wildly entertaining mystery that moves at lightning speed from the cliffs of Cornwall to the enchanted island of Corsica and, finally, to a breathtaking climax on the very doorstep of 10 Downing Street.

The plot in A Death in Cornwall is a significant improvement over the 2023 installment of the series. The author, Dan Silva, has now successfully transferred Israeli spy Gabriel Allon's career to working as a full-time art restorer. As such, this plot concerns artistic provenance research (APR). One of the best in the business was Charlotte Blake who was murdered with an axe. The police believe that it was the work of a serial killer known as "the Chopper" but some of them aren't sure. As Gabriel searches for a lost painting that Blake was researching, he uses his spy craft skills to deter the international financial machinations through which the rich use shell companies to hide money. 

I love reading this series. The books are always a quick read with more than the usual twists and turns than you would find in other thrillers. The author certainly knows politics well and always gives the reader something new to think about. However, if you have never read one of these mysteries you probably do not want to start with A Death in Cornwall since it refers to past events. Many of the series characters in past novels are not involved in this novel. Allon's wife Chiara does not have much of a part in this book but that makes me happy. I never liked her character much.

A Death in Cornwall is a fantastic book. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Wartime Book Club

I selected The Wartime Book Club for last month's Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge.  It is a historical fiction account that was inspired by true events.  You can read about those events at the end of the book where you will also find study questions and a bibliography concerning the island of Jersey where the setting of the book is located.

The publisher's summary:

The Isle of Jersey was once a warm and neighborly community, but in 1943, German soldiers patrol the cobbled streets, imposing a harsh rule. Nazis have ordered Grace La Mottée, the island's only librarian, to destroy books that threaten the new regime. Instead, she hides the stories away in secret. Along with her headstrong best friend, she wants to fight back. So she forms the Wartime Book Club: a lifeline, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of reading. But as the occupation drags on, the women's quiet acts of bravery become more perilous – and more important – than ever before. And when tensions turn to violence, they are forced to face the true, terrible cost of resistance.

 

I LOVED this novel!  I was unable to put it down and read it in one setting. I was hooked from the first chapter. The story was so intriguing that I was interested even though the wartime library did not appear until one third of the way into the story. The two main characters, Bea and Grace, friendship was pretty compelling and how they made decisions became a part of what happened later in the story.  These ladies were complete opposites but best friends and they were able to let each other be who they were and forgive easily any slights that they felt. In this sense, the story is about friendship and loyalty.

I don't enjoy WWII books much but this one was about those left behind from soldiers.  It did not have any military action. The story was about how a community stuck together during the occupation of their island. While there were a few who turned in their neighbors to the Nazis in order to obtain additional food, most of the residents helped each other out as much as they could. Each chapter began with the name of a banned book and why it was banned. The story shows the importance of these banned books to Jersey residents and the reader sees how Grace was able to deliver these books to residents without getting caught by the Nazi occupiers. Grace's heroism is the main theme of the plot. A secondary plot concerns her friend Bea. Bea made many mistakes and did not take care to hide what she was doing. She was impulsive and that got her into more than one fix.

Author Kate Thompson did several years of research into the Channel Islands during WWII. The details in her story are indicative of this. In addition, there are about 100 pages of history, bibliography, and study questions to ponder at the end of the story. I found these details equally as intriguing as the story. Since I love history, I appreciate all of this information.

5 out of 5 stars.