Upstairs and down
I discovered two weeks ago that there was a brand-new installment of the Ashmore Castle series by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles and, because I had read the last one almost a year ago, decided to reread that one and then… Read More
In celebration of dogs
The phrase “the dog days of summer” comes from the ancient Latin phrase diēs caniculārēs, meaning “days of the dog star.” The ancient Greeks and Romans thought that the brilliant light and proximity of Sirius (the brightest star… Read More
Ironwood
Ironwood is Michael Connelly’s latest, and it’s billed Catalina #2, starring Detective Sergeant Stilwell, who is now further along into his career as head of the sheriff’s department substation on that island off the coast of Los Angeles… Read More
Continued enjoyment
I read two books this week. One was the sequel to the cozy mystery I reviewed in my last post. The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Orchid Hunting, by Naomi Kuttner, would seem to follow one theme from the… Read More
A cozy assassin
I am a long-time mystery reader, but not in general a particular fan of the “cozy”—I tend to like my mysteries on the darker side. But I just read a charming and unexpectedly funny one that made me… Read More
The comforts of formula
Many writers of series (especially the ones with recurring themes, such as mysteries) fall into a pattern with their books—what one would call a formula. Depending on how well they perform within the confines of that formula, it… Read More
Re-read break
I have three books on the holds list at Los Angeles Public Library for which I am #1 in line, so while I was waiting i decided to do some rereading, because every time I have books on… Read More
Grainger, cont’d
I have to date read two more of Peter Grainger’s mystery novels featuring DC Smith. Although the second in the series felt a little lackluster to me, being exceedingly low-key and petering out into a “solve” that everyone… Read More
New-to-me mystery
I’m always looking for a mystery writer previously unknown to me who will keep me interested the way dozens of others have in the past. I have devoured all the books of Penny, Morton, Johnson, Hill, Harrod-Eagles, the… Read More
The Book Adept 