Button Day!

I admit it- I'm a button junkie. I love them. Somewhere in my closet is a jar full of them. I'm still mad that my Gramma's old collection got pitched. it's nice to know that I'm not alone, and that there's a day for us. I don't collect them for value, just for the way they look. I really should dig my collection out and do a craft project with them.

There's a mystery series about a button collector/seller, BTW. Kylie Logan wrote it. Here's the first book in the series:

Gone Girl- Gillian Flynn

I wasn't going to read this one because I don't like following the rest of the sheeple in the world, but several authors I like (with similar tastes to mine) had put it on their recommended lists, so I thought I'd try it.

Wow, are these characters screwed up! The story starts out normally- boy meets girl, boy & girl get married. Then boy & girl both lose their jobs in NY, her parents go broke and have to take the money from her trust fund to pay debts, his parents are dying, and they move back to his childhood home in Missouri. She's not happy about it, but is trying to stay positive. He uses the last of her money to open a bar with his sister and thinks everything is peachy...until he comes home on their anniversary to find signs of a struggle and his wife missing.

Then it gets interesting.

The police ask the usual procedural questions. Her parents come to help with the search. Friends and neighbors start looking for the missing woman. And parts of the story don't quite add up. Neighbors paint a different picture of his life than the one he gives the police. Weird things show up, and the 'hero' is shown to be hiding things from the world...things that don't put him in a good light and make matters worse...like the affair he's been having...

Now he's accused of killing his wife and hiding her body. And while the police are trying to find evidence to put him away, the husband is trying to prove that his wife set him up to look like he killed her. As he grasps at straws to save himself, the reader is shown how the missing wife isn't quite the sainted angel she's been cast as.

I won't spoil the ending, except to say that it wasn't entirely satisfying, but in a way, most of the characters got what they deserved.

A Deadly Grind- Virgina Hamilton

Meet Jaymie. She has a passion for vintage kitchenware. Her older sister doesn't share this passion, and often refers to it as Jaymie's junk. They attend an auction where J buys a vintage cabinet, known as a Hoosier, much to her sib's annoyance. Unbeknownst to the sisters, there is a valuable object concealed in the Hoosier, and someone is NOT happy that it's in their possession. A man breaks into their house and is killed, and the story is off and running. Throw in an eclectic mix of friends & neighbors, a jerk ex-boyfriend and his pretty, rich, young new girlfriend, a local festival, a three legged dog, and a charming detective, and you have this inocuous but pleasant read.

When Maidens Mourn- C. S. Harris

This is the 7th in the series of Sebastian St Cyr mysteries and is an excellent read. I wondered what was left for our hero after book 6 and the author has found a whole new series of angles to explore with her character. From his twisted relationship with his family to his new marriage to the daughter of his worst enemy, I can't wait to see what comes next.

The mystery in this book is the death of scholarly maiden Gabrielle Tennyson, and the disappearance of the two young cousins, George & Alfred (yes, THAT Alfred) who were visiting her. St Cyr & his new bride (who was a friend of Gabrielle's) start separate investigations that come together with a suprising conclusion.

Book of Lost Fragrances- M J Rose

I loved this book! It's sort of a melange of Katherine Neville's The Eight & Patrick Suskind's Perfume, with a dollop of Steve Berry's mysteries. Jac & Robbie are the heirs to a long standing family perfume business. Jac wants nothing to do with the business, while Robbie is convinced that there is truth to the family legend of a Book of Fragrances once owned by Cleopatra. He goes missing after an attempt on his life and Jac returns to the family estate in France to search for her brother, whatever he was working on, and the truth about the repressed 'memories' that have plagued her entire life. Throw in some cloak & dagger espionage, a Chinese defector, the Dalai Lama (no, really) and Jac's ex-lover who may or may not be involved in a reincarnated love affair with her and you have quite an interesting read.

The Cocoa Conspiracy- Andrea Penrose

When we last met Lady Arianna, she was about to marry the Earl of Saybrook. This volume opens with her in a booksellers shop, having just discovered a lovely book of botanical etchings that she decides to buy for her husband's birthday. The only problem is that a seemingly deranged man tries to take it from her and she winds up brawling with him to keep it. Arianna does, of course, kick his butt and retain possession of the book. She later discovers documents hidden in the binding of the book that lead her and the Earl, along with their medical friend Baz, into unmasking yet another murderous plot involving several European Royals as well as the possible ruination of several friends & loved ones. While unmasking traitors, Ari & Sandro also must deal with the nasty Government Agent Trentham, society folderol, house parties, traveling to Vienna, and their growing feelings for each other. They might have had to marry for appearances sake, but they have grown to love each other more than either of them is comfortable admitting. Also includes some delicious looking recipes, and a preview of the next book in the series, due out in the fall of 2012. Can't wait!

Double Booked For Death- Ali Brandon

I know, I know- another mystery with a cat and a bookstore, right? Well, when it's well done, it's not so bad, and this IS well done. Texan Darla has moved to NY to run the bookstore left to her by her deceased aunt. She's also inherited the bad mannered black cat, Hamlet. We begin after she's been there for a few months and is about to host her first big book signing, for an author of the latest teen blockbuster series. She's been warned that this author can be difficult to handle, and is calling this her Up Yours tour. The reason? She's a failed romance writer who was only able to get signings at a few indie bookstores around the country before hitting big with her paranormal teen book. Now all the big chains want her to do signings for them, but she's only planning to go back to the stores who acknowledged her earlier books, and Darla's store is the first stop. Darla enlists neighbor & former NYPD officer Jake (short for Jacqueline) to help with crowd control. Things seem to be going well at first, despite some infighting among the bookstore staff, the appearance of a protester and the threat of a church group picket, and then all hell breaks loose. Val, the author, winds up dead in the street when she's supposed to be signing books. The police at first think it's a simple, yet awful accident, but things keep nagging at Darla until she & Jake start putting pieces together, with the unwitting (or is it?) help of Hamlet and they realize there's a LOT more going on than anyone realized. There's also a subplot with mysterious break-ins at the store and Darla's apartment (nothing is stolen, but someone is CLEARLY looking for something), a potential future romance for Darla, and the developing relationship between Darla & Hamlet the wonder cat. All in all, a good read for a chilly day and a promising start for a new series.

A Study in Sherlock

I believe it was my mother who got me started reading Sherlock Holmes. I checked out as many of Conan Doyle's books as I could carry home from the library. LOVED him, despite his flaws. (Cocaine? Bad, Sherlock!) As a result of my addiction, I have also read way too many Holmesian pastiches. As with other mythic characters (King Arthur, vampires, and werewolves come to mind), there are lots of good, well written stories/novels out there. There is also a LOT of sheer, deplorable DRECK. (Sherlock in Love by Sena Jeter Naslund- mercifully out of print and one of the many reasons I loathe the woman- is a prime example. If you haven't read it, do yourself a favor and don't)

Just when I was ready to throw in the towel, Mom struck again. This time it was The Beekeeper's Apprentice, by Laurie R King. What an amazing read! (Come to think of it, I should post a review for that one) I love Ms King's explorations of Mary Russell and her quirky relationship with the great detective. So, seeing that she was part of this collection, I decided to give it a go. I'm so glad I did. The stories themselves vary in content. Some authors chose to feature Sherlock himself, others alluded to him. Some were set in the past, some in the present. I can honestly say I liked almost every story in this book, and it's given me a few new authors to try. The only story I didn't care for was the rather lengthy comic/graphic novelette one. I'm just not that into that style and it may be a good story- I just couldn't get into it.

Sweet Revenge- Andrea Penrose

Well! I read this in one delighted sitting. Combine several of my favorites- in this case, the Regency era, chocolate, and a thumping good mystery with an unconvetional heroine and a broody dark hero- and watch me be entertained! Arianna is a former young lady of Quality, living under an assumed name, disguised as a male French chef. Someone poisons one of her dishes at a party and nearly kills the Prince Regent. Saybrook is drafted to find the attempted murderer- and discovers Arianna's secret, well, one of her secrets, in the process. An attempt on her life makes them unlikely allies who now have to work together to find out not only who tried to kill the Prince, but who caused Arianna's father to lose his place in society and what exactly they hope to gain. The give-and-take battle of wills between them is entertaining, and the ending is not totally unexpected, but still satisfying.

Moon Over Soho- Ben Aaronovitch

Peter Grant is back in this second installment of Aaronovitch's series, and all I can say is "More, please!" I'd swear he's writing these things just for me- set in London, featuring jazz and a biracial hero, with a healthy dollop of paranormal activity thrown in. All things I love, and well written, to boot! I liked the fact that a critically injured character from the first book still appears in the second, and without being magically cured of the damage she suffered. It's hard for Peter (and Leslie herself) to deal with the aftermath, but it doesn't get glossed over. Peter's mentor is also still suffering the effects of his injuries from Midnight Riot, and Peter is left with a great deal less superivision as a result. This, for him, does not prove to be an entirely good thing as he is faced with a man-eating woman (literally), several unexpectedly dead jazz musicians, and yet another woman who wants Peter for her own. Good stuff!

Midnight Riot- Ben Aaronovitch

From Goodreads:
The police career of techie Peter Grant was stuck in "pause" until a ghost whispered in his ear. The insights of this deceased eyewitness help solve a baffling homicide and bring paranormal Peter to the attention of his London Metropolitan Police bosses. What follows is a smoothly-paced supernatural procedural that is grounded enough to keep you guessing and strange enough to keep you amused

My opinion:

This was a fun read. The hero is a biracial police officer (not that it matters to the plot- just being biracial myself means I notice more when I come across a character that is) who meets a ghost while being stuck at a crime scene and finds himself launched into the world of the supertnatural while still trying to be a good police officer. He's transferred into the unknown-to-him paranormal police squad and begins to learn magic himself- all while solving the seemingly random crime wave in his area and settling squabbles among river deities. Add in a potential police officer girlfriend, a potential river deity grilfriend, and Molly the maid of unknown supernatural descent, Toby the dog, and an exploding cell phone, and you have quite an entertaining novel. Can't wait to start Moon over Soho- the next book in the series!

Books Can Be Decieving- Jenn McKinlay

from Amazon: Lindsey is getting into her groove as the director of the Briar Creek Public Library when a New York editor visits town, creating quite a buzz. Lindsey's friend Beth wants to sell the editor her children's book, but Beth's boyfriend, a famous author, gets in the way. When they go to confront him, he's found murdered-and Beth is the prime suspect. Lindsey has to act fast before they throw the book at the wrong person.


My take: Good story, smooth flow. I loved that the chapter headers were old fashioned Date Due cards/pockets! Do you know the only word in the English language that ends with the letters -mt? Read this book and you'll find out.

A Killer Plot

This was a fun little mystery. Olivia Limoges is a woman with a tragic past who has returned to her hometown after making her fortune. She keeps to herself, with her best friend being her loyal dog, until a restuaranteur friend convinces her to join a local writer's group. As she finds herself making friends, Olivia begins to feel more comfortable in her old home...until one of her new friends is brutally murdered. Now she & the survivng members of the group are trying to help the local law enforcement solve the case and prevent anyone else from dying.


Ellery Adams manages to introduce quite a few characters in this first book of a new series, but manages to make you feel a connection to most of them. You find out what happened to Olivia as a child, but there is still some mystery as to what went on in her life after she was taken away from the town and raised elsewhere. I'm sure it will be addressed in later book, and can't wait to find out.