Saturday, October 27, 2007

Recent Books



I like to read. Perhaps too much. My apartment has been known to host piles and piles of books and magazines to a possibly hazardous degree, though part of that is due to my inability to put together more bookshelves. The last few years have seen me move away from romance novels and literary novels to mystery novels and literary novels. I like to-- and know that I should-- read more non -fiction but somehow it does not pack the same escapist punch which is what draws me to reading.

When I say that I read "mystery" novels, be warned that I don't mean what some people term "serious" or "real" mysteries, i.e. those by Elmore Leonard or Richard Patterson. Apparently the type I enjoy are called "cozy" mysteries. I haven't researched why they are called "cozy," but my guess would be that one could happily curl up on a chair and an afghan and spend the night reading away in a cozy fashion. In my opinion that sounds more like a romance novel- reading scenario.

It appears that the genre has few rules. You have a central character- the sleuth- who is possessed of some charming eccentricities and is either thrust into or thrusts themselves into a situation requiring mystery solving. There are some incredibly specific niches: aside from cooking mysteries, there are needle working, scrap booking, paranormal, pet-sitting, candle making, hotel-running, mystery shopping, Edwardian, Victorian, Restoration and Elizabethan England -themed mysteries, to name a very few. They key is to find a series and follow the characters through adventures.

In another post I will review some of my favorites series, or you can check out the link in the list.

Since I am a dog lover, I am drawn to mysteries involving animals. Recently I found two animal -related books and dove in eagerly. The first: Catnapped, an Animal Instinct Mystery, by Gabrielle Herkert. The premise is that legal investigator Sara Townley is assigned to find the missing heir to a huge fortune. The kicker? The heir is a cat. Then it is revealed that Sara was recently in Vegas and married a Navy SEAL after a week's courtship, and he turns up. Romantic and deadly complications ensue. I was not thrilled with the book because: the cat seemed to be a transparent device to label the book: the story had very little to do with the story and appears almost as an afterthought here and there. The character development is by rote and the story is the basic corporate wrong doing. I will not be searching out the next installment.

However, in my next trip to the bookstore I hit the jackpot- both books I purchased that day were winners and in a big way. I cannot wait to read what happens next.

The first is called A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket; A Callie Parrish Mystery, by Fran Rizer. The voice, character development and story are all first rate. The title character took cosmetology in high school, went on to teach kindergarten-first graders for several years while she was married. After the marriage ended, in a move to change her life, Callie moves back to her home town in South Carolina and finds work as a mortuary cosmetologist. Yes, it is set in a funeral home! It is just as much set in the South, though, and the culture and speech are almost characters in their own right. These are very specific characters in a very specific place. After a local good ole boy is found dead, Callie is thrust into investigating the circumstances. I highly recommend this book - it has everything.

The second book is very unusual and the writing is accomplished. Dog About Town, By J. F. Englert. It is told entirely from the point of view of an extremely sentient and articulate Labrador Retriever named Randolph. Even without the mystery, it would have been an awesome read: one really buys into the idea of being told this story by a well read canine. It slyly satirizes human behavior as well as "explaining" why dogs do some of the things they do. The characters are interesting but not corny or caricatures, the story is satisfying and definitely leaves the reader wanting more.

This week I finally got my hands on the latest installment of the delicious Agatha Raisin series by M. C. Beaton: Kissing Christmas Goodbye. Irascible, stubborn and not always pleasant Agatha decides once again to try for an old fashioned Christmas, and a case suddenly turns up to pique her interest in the meantime. Annoying ex James Lacey has only a brief appearance and some of the new characters are welcome additions. Agatha continues to evolve- but grudgingly. I think possibly the reason I so enjoy the series is that I identify with her!

Am just about finished with the brand new Laurell K. Hamilton installment in the Merry Gentry series: A Lick of Frost. I will have to devote some time to my admiration of this author and her work. Suffice to say, she is one of the few writers who imagination and talent I truly envy.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello, I'm JF Englert's book publicist. Since I know the blog was such a fan of A DOG ABOUT TOWN, I'm happy to send you a copy of the next book in the series, A DOG AMONG DIPLOMATS. Please send me your mailing address at acrowe@randomhouse.com and I'll put a copy in the mail for you.

Thanks!
Anna

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