Play the Fool is at the grittier edge of cozy: not full on thriller, but there is profanity and some situatioI received an advance copy via NetGalley.
Play the Fool is at the grittier edge of cozy: not full on thriller, but there is profanity and some situations of moral ambiguity. That said, I enjoyed it immensely, even if the end was a touch predictable. Sometimes, that's just what the reader needs. The ride is still twisty-turny fun even if you know the destination.
Katie is a loser. Her family is wealthy and all about success, while she's an aimless college drop-out working at a lousy mall gift shop. The one thing she's good at is tarot cards--and her one friend is a fellow mall worker, Marley. When a bleeding guy staggers into Katie's shop one day, she's laying out her cards. As she starts a reading for him, she snoops on his phone, thinking she'll get a deeper psych profile on the mark--but sees a texted photo of Marley, dead. When she later goes to the dumpster shown in the picture, there's no body. Her only friend is gone. The police don't believe her, but Katie is determined to bring justice to her friend--and hopefully not die trying.
I have a hunch that this book will rub some people wrong because Katie bumbles through her mystery-solving much as she does life. She screws up, a lot. She's not the most brilliant of amateur detectives, but her heart is in the right place. She reminded me of friends I've had. Chern clearly knows her Chicago setting well, too, as the place is a vivid character, fragrant and grimy. There's a romantic subplot that to me developed in a more realistic and natural way than it does in many mysteries where it feels shoe-horned in to meet a trope quota. Also, as an autist, I loved how Chern wrote about Katie's brother who cues autistic in major ways but is never labeled as such, nor did he need to be--he was utterly accepted as he was.
In all, a fun book, and if there are more entries in the series, I'd like to read them!...more
I read and blurbed this earlier in 2022. "The stories in At the Intersection of Love and Death are loaded with heart with some chills mixed in for gooI read and blurbed this earlier in 2022. "The stories in At the Intersection of Love and Death are loaded with heart with some chills mixed in for good measure. This collection is one to savor."...more
An absolutely brutal Tor novella that is not for people sensitive to depictions of animals in dire circumstanI received an advance copy via NetGalley.
An absolutely brutal Tor novella that is not for people sensitive to depictions of animals in dire circumstances. Sean is a queer scientist in a white man’s world, ready to push hard and give everything for her work— but didn’t anticipate that would include her marriage. Her current project, with private funding, uses her own body in an experimental procedure. A brain implant provides her a one-way connection with a wild wolf named Kate. During brief periods of live connection, she viscerally feels what it is like to live as a wolf—in contrast with her reality of despair as her relationship dissolves. Her time as a wolf begins to feel more real and vivid than her human time. This book reads fast, looking at relationships and scientific experimentation in blunt ways. It’s good, but harsh. ...more
This second book featuring three nosy retired Yorkshire schoolteachers doesn’t focus on solving a murder, buI received an advance copy from NetGalley.
This second book featuring three nosy retired Yorkshire schoolteachers doesn’t focus on solving a murder, but other insidious drama—someone is sending nasty messages to the staff at their old school. The sorts of vile words that inspire tears, starvation, and other acts from guilt. I didn’t find this as strong of a book as the first. The start felt rather slow, and the sheer number of characters kept me addled. I kept reading, though, because I wanted to find out whodunnit. It turned out that I guessed the guilty party early on, but I’m still pleased with how the mystery plot played out, as it included numerous surprises....more
A book subtitled "A novel of history, dark intrigue, and cheese" should have been my ideal reading material, but wow, was it not. Edward Trencom has aA book subtitled "A novel of history, dark intrigue, and cheese" should have been my ideal reading material, but wow, was it not. Edward Trencom has a gifted nose. His family has run a London cheese shop for centuries, and like his predecessors, he can identify every detail about a cheese--and many other things--with a whiff. Those descriptions are awesome. Less awesome is that every generation of cheesemonger in his family, as far as it can be traced, has been assassinated (why the entire family line hasn't simply been wiped out is one of the many frustrating mysteries of the book). As he realizes he's being followed by strange Greek men and his reliable nose becomes less reliable, Edward digs into his family history to find out why the pattern continues.
For one, very little was actually about real cheeses, and it ignored actual cheese history and availability in London, especially in the 1960s when commodity cheeses ruled and artisan cheeses were actively dying (YES, as a history and cheese geek, I will criticize this first). Even more, this is a 300-page book wherein there is almost no plot progression for 275 pages. Edward is told time and again that he'll be told the truth soon. Meanwhile, sporadic chapters detail the gruesome deaths of previous generations, and there are gratuitous descriptions of awkward sex, many of them reading like fat jokes. When things finally are revealed at the end, it doesn't feel like much of a surprise because the hints were all there early on, but Edward needed to bumble along for prolonged pages first. Many elements are left unexplained. The book seemed to go for British dry humor with magical realism, but from a strong start, it lost me as the plot itself lost its way. If it wasn't for the cheese angle, I would've stopped reading early on. I was left with the impression that this concept would've made for a great short story....more
My edition is an old hardcover library discard that includes "The Chimes" and "A Christmas Carol." "The Chimes" is an odd story that feels hard to folMy edition is an old hardcover library discard that includes "The Chimes" and "A Christmas Carol." "The Chimes" is an odd story that feels hard to follow, and is more steeped in the time period. "A Christmas Carol" lingers as a classic, not only because the story is so familiar, but it's an easier, more straightforward read....more
This is a fun start for a new cozy mystery series themed around a Grenadian family’s new bakery in Brooklyn.I received an advance copy from NetGalley.
This is a fun start for a new cozy mystery series themed around a Grenadian family’s new bakery in Brooklyn. A local jerk/baker who is harassing them ends up dead, with main character Lyndsay as the suspect. When the police keep a myopic focus on her, she starts her own investigation. I loved the involvement of her affectionate family, and the baked goods sound incredibly good (the end of the book includes a couple recipes, too). The list of suspects is narrow and the mystery unfolds at just the right pace, leading to a pleasant resolution. I would read onward in this series....more
Translated from Japanese, this is essentially a novella formed from four connected short stories about women I received an advance copy via NetGalley.
Translated from Japanese, this is essentially a novella formed from four connected short stories about women and cats. There’s a cozy gentleness to the works and the tender relationships they depict. There’s no major action, no huge twists, but just a sense of rightness to how the elements click together....more
Nocturne is a mood more than anything. Set in Depression-era Chicago, it follows Grace Dragotta, a young ballI received an advance copy via NetGalley.
Nocturne is a mood more than anything. Set in Depression-era Chicago, it follows Grace Dragotta, a young ballerina left orphaned. Ballet is her life, and when she makes prima ballerina, she's thrilled--then disturbed when she finds out she did so at the behest of a new sponsor for the company, the Master. He quickly orders that she live in his mystical estate in Hyde Park, where she must dance for him each week (in case it was unclear, this is not a healthy relationship) and she eventually finds out who and what he is.
The book is very gothic and descriptive. Some will find it overwrought and purple, but it is effective in creating an atmospheric piece. The story clearly draws from Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, and Hades and Persephone. The biggest problem I had is that it doesn't recreate those into something innovative. The plot is incredibly transparent from early on. The Master himself never feels realized to me, either. I never understood why she was truly special--the sorrows in her life were nothing unusual, sadly--and Stockholm Syndrome seemed like the biggest reason she fell for him. Grace herself does little of her own volition until the end....more
This is the kind of nonfiction book that is a slow read, but an absolutely fascinating one if you geek out over historical details. This book describeThis is the kind of nonfiction book that is a slow read, but an absolutely fascinating one if you geek out over historical details. This book describes the invention of the toilet, the sofa, the concept of the private bedroom, how France warred against cotton, along with many other intriguing historical minutia. This is a book I'll keep around for reference....more
What a fun research read! It is essentially a food-focused travelogue of two friends traveling in Normandy, published soon after their deaths in the 1What a fun research read! It is essentially a food-focused travelogue of two friends traveling in Normandy, published soon after their deaths in the 1850s. It’s an incredibly easy read for the period, full of vivid characters and detailed explanations about harvesting marine life along the shore. There’s one tense bit where the men walked out too far on the sand and a local young girl saves them as the tide floods back in. For my research needs, I love that the top of each page references the general theme of the story beneath....more
What a magnificent book! This is a cozy fantasy that makes me feel like I'm snuggling into a blanket by a wI received an early copy through NetGalley.
What a magnificent book! This is a cozy fantasy that makes me feel like I'm snuggling into a blanket by a warm fire with a cat on my lap. You want a delightfully academic and fun approach to the well-trod trope of fairies? Done. Unique setting? Yep. A curmudgeonly heroine who prefers books to people? Oh yes, and I relate to her a bit much. Fantastic banter that makes you want to giggle aloud? Yes, yes, yes. I am EXCITED that the Goodreads listing says this is the first in a series. I want more Emily. More Wendell. More Folk-related chaos....more
Antsy lost her father. Her mother's new husband is not a man to be trusted. (I won't delve into spoilers hereI received an advance copy via NetGalley.
Antsy lost her father. Her mother's new husband is not a man to be trusted. (I won't delve into spoilers here, but there is a fantastic trigger warning at the start of the novella that states that Antsy escapes, so go into the book knowing the content verges on disturbing but does nothing graphic.) She opens a door, in the tradition of this series, to a mystical place: in her case, a shop for things that are lost.
The Wayward Children series includes some of my favorite books, ever--and also some volumes that fell incredibly flat to me. This one is well done, a four-star rating from me. I don't rate it among the best because the set-up feels long, the immersion in the fantastic frustratingly brief. But oh, I loved Antsy's time in the shop. I wanted to stay there for a full novel, in all honesty.
Note that the book is stand-alone. You don't need to have read the previous novellas in the series, though your experience may be richer if you have....more
I've never read any of Sandman before, though in the 1990s, I was well aware it was a huge thing at my local comics shop. These stories are deep. DistI've never read any of Sandman before, though in the 1990s, I was well aware it was a huge thing at my local comics shop. These stories are deep. Disturbing. Thoughtful. Beautiful. It amazes me how close the Netflix adaptation is, in many ways modernizing and improving on the original with subtle touches. The original remains profound, though....more
Not a review. Includes my poem "When, as an Adult, You Choose to Again Believe in Magic."Not a review. Includes my poem "When, as an Adult, You Choose to Again Believe in Magic."...more
What an incredibly solid and engaging cozy mystery! I picked it up because it uses the setting of Morro Bay, a California central coast town I knew weWhat an incredibly solid and engaging cozy mystery! I picked it up because it uses the setting of Morro Bay, a California central coast town I knew well as I was growing up as it was a quick getaway from where I was raised in the Central Valley. I ended up relating to the book throughout, as it was not only clear that the author knew the area well, but the very make-up of Californians.
This is the 6th book in the series but I jumped in with ease. Benni Harper works in folk art and knows a lot of people around her (fictional) town of San Celina, but she's baffled when she inherits a house and a lot of money from a total stranger in nearby Morro Bay. His will stipulates that she must stay in the house for two weeks to inherit the estate--which doesn't please her police chief husband one bit. Benni soon finds creepy details, like a wood-carved statue of her childhood horse, a favorite old jacket of hers that vanished years ago, and clues that guide her to different people and places around the coast. At the same time, her new neighbors--who thought they'd inherit--are a threatening presence. Benni needs to solve the mystery of Jacob Chandler before something bad happens.
This book came out in 1999, and I loved that aspect. CD-ROMS are mentioned, and Benni has a newfangled cellular phone that she can use just-in-case but usually uses landlines instead. The characters are fantastic, well-drawn with sensitive portrayals. The mystery kept me guessing all the way through. I hope to read more in the series....more
What a fun kick-off to a rockin' new mystery series! This perfectly-paced cozy mystery is set in a small townI received an advance copy via NetGalley.
What a fun kick-off to a rockin' new mystery series! This perfectly-paced cozy mystery is set in a small town outside Texas and focuses on Juni, recently returned to her hometown to start a coffee and record albums shop in the same location their grandparents had a music store for decades. During their big grand opening, she finds a woman dead in a supply closet, holding the business card of her scalawag of an uncle. When said uncle vanishes once he'd out on bail, Juni contends with the pushy advances of her ex-boyfriend-now-detective and starts a possible romance with her childhood best friend as she seeks to clear her family from involvement in the crime.
This read is just plain fun. Blacke seems to know her Austin-area setting very well, nailing the proper food references and cultural details. The family's shop has drinks that are based on punny song titles, and they are an absolute hoot. The mystery feels nicely modern, too. Food delivery couriers play a big role, as does social media use, but everything is explained in a way that makes the references accessible to all readers. I didn't correctly guess the guilty party, and I love being surprised like that!
I would definitely read more in this new series....more
A very interesting book for those curious about food-oriented history. Beahrs, in a personable tone, explores Twain's list of most-beloved American foA very interesting book for those curious about food-oriented history. Beahrs, in a personable tone, explores Twain's list of most-beloved American foods and hones in on several to explore them within the context of the 19th century and what has happened to them now--if they still exist. This, in many ways, is a book about conservation, ecology, and how tastes and perspectives of foods can evolve over time. The book discusses Midwest prairie hens, racoons and possum, Lake Tahoe trout, oysters and mussels of San Francisco, Philadelphia terrapin, New Orleans sheephead fish, and cranberries. Twain's life and stories are woven throughout....more
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