Tara Chevrestt's Blog, page 18
July 14, 2015
The Yin and Yang of Fictional Sleuthing By @DelynnRoyer #Giveaway
It started with Nancy Drew.
My mother was a yard sale enthusiast. Between those sales and flea market used books, I snagged every Nancy Drew mystery from The Secret of the Old Clock to The Secret of Mirror Bay.
That’s a long time ago, but here’s what I remember. I wanted to be Nancy. (Oh, yes, I did.) I wanted Nancy’s hair (shoulder-length blond flippy-do), I wanted that smokin’ hot blue roadster, but most of all...
I wanted that smokin’ hot Ned Nickerson. Although...
Even at ten, I suspected there was something missing from Nancy and Ned’s romantic subplot. Like maybe the smokin’ hot part. Or maybe it’s better to call it the romantic conflict part.
The Romantic Conflict PartThere are several reasons why romance is always present in my stories. Writing strong heroines is the best of it. But another reason is the built-in conflict.
Call it Yin and Yang. Mars and Venus. Attraction of opposites. It’s that built-in male-female conflict that’s a gift to romance writers.
It can be deceiving, though. It may seem to be about forces that are at odds, but, in reality, it’s about forces that complement. (Light and shadow, push and pull.) In the end, the two will add up to be more than the sum of their parts. It’s a dynamic that can enrich any human relationship.
It also plays well with solving mysteries.The Yin and Yang of Detective Duos
Fictional detective duos are nothing new. Holmes and Watson were there from the start, although Watson was more of a sidekick. With Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, the sidekick began to emerge as yang to that armchair detective’s yin.Dashielle Hammett mixed the sexes to create a new trope—married sleuths—in his 1934 mystery, The Thin Man. That was the cake. The icing? Myrna Loy and William Powell. Their romantic chemistry knocked it out of the park in the movie, and my favorite snooping couple was born. Nick and Nora CharlesNick is a glib, hard-drinking former Pinkerton detective who spent his working life mingling among New York’s shady 1920s underworld. Nora is a Nob Hill heiress, a gin-tippling society girl with a spicy sense of humor and a taste for adventure.If that’s not a lovely, bubbling mix of opposites, I don’t know what is.Sean and Trixie: My Own Snooping CoupleIn my first 1920s romantic mystery—It Had to Be You—I created my own snooping couple. Were there shades of Nick and Nora? Some. But as characters always do, my leads took on their own personalities.
Sean Costigan knows New York’s shady underworld all too well. He’s a deep-thinking homicide cop with a Philip Marlowe, seen-it-all attitude. The last thing he needs is a perky, bright-eyed Long Island debutante who dreams of becoming the next Nellie Bly.Or so he thinks.
Trixie Frank is indeed a perky, bright-eyed society girl. She’ll inherit her family’s five and dime store fortune someday. But she’s also got ambition. She’s a tabloid reporter with her sights set on the crime beat.
When these two meet, it’s a lovely, bubbling mix of opposites. At least, it has been for me. I’m now at work on their third mystery case.Giveaway!To celebrate the release of my second Trixie Frank – Sean Costigan mystery—Goodbye, Tootsie—I’d be happy to gift one of my romantic mystery ebooks for Kindle to a Book Babe reader.• It Had to Be You (Book 1)An ambitious tabloid reporter stumbles on the story of her career when she joins up with a jaded homicide detective to solve the Central Park murder of a notorious bootlegger.
• Goodbye, Tootsie (Book 2)A homicide detective and a tabloid reporter are on the road to romance but at cross-purposes at work when they investigate the New Year’s Eve murder of a young heiress after she comes into control of a family fortune.
(This gift is available via U.S. Amazon in the Amazon Kindle version only.)To throw your name in the hat, leave a comment no later than July 21st with the book title you’d like and your email address. Winner will be chosen at random on July 22nd.So, tell. Who are your favorite fictional detective duos and why?
To get started, here are more of my favorites.• Thomas and Charlotte Pitt (Historical mysteries by Anne Perry)Why? Wonderful romantic chemistry between married sleuths.• Laura Holt and Remington Steele. (Old TV series Remington Steele)Why? Smart and stylish. No one looked better in a fedora than Laura Holt.• Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson (TV series Elementary)
Why? Clever with complex characters.
Happy armchair sleuthing!
Delynn Royer writes historical romantic fiction for the light of heart. Aside from the research that inspires her novels, she enjoys classic movies and yoga. She lives with her husband in Pennsylvania.
Follow Delynn on her blog, Twitter and Pinterest.
Links to Blog, Twitter and Pinterest:https://delynnroyer.wordpress.com/new...
Amazon Book Links:
My mother was a yard sale enthusiast. Between those sales and flea market used books, I snagged every Nancy Drew mystery from The Secret of the Old Clock to The Secret of Mirror Bay.
That’s a long time ago, but here’s what I remember. I wanted to be Nancy. (Oh, yes, I did.) I wanted Nancy’s hair (shoulder-length blond flippy-do), I wanted that smokin’ hot blue roadster, but most of all...
I wanted that smokin’ hot Ned Nickerson. Although...
Even at ten, I suspected there was something missing from Nancy and Ned’s romantic subplot. Like maybe the smokin’ hot part. Or maybe it’s better to call it the romantic conflict part.
The Romantic Conflict PartThere are several reasons why romance is always present in my stories. Writing strong heroines is the best of it. But another reason is the built-in conflict.
Call it Yin and Yang. Mars and Venus. Attraction of opposites. It’s that built-in male-female conflict that’s a gift to romance writers.
It can be deceiving, though. It may seem to be about forces that are at odds, but, in reality, it’s about forces that complement. (Light and shadow, push and pull.) In the end, the two will add up to be more than the sum of their parts. It’s a dynamic that can enrich any human relationship.
It also plays well with solving mysteries.The Yin and Yang of Detective Duos
Fictional detective duos are nothing new. Holmes and Watson were there from the start, although Watson was more of a sidekick. With Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, the sidekick began to emerge as yang to that armchair detective’s yin.Dashielle Hammett mixed the sexes to create a new trope—married sleuths—in his 1934 mystery, The Thin Man. That was the cake. The icing? Myrna Loy and William Powell. Their romantic chemistry knocked it out of the park in the movie, and my favorite snooping couple was born. Nick and Nora CharlesNick is a glib, hard-drinking former Pinkerton detective who spent his working life mingling among New York’s shady 1920s underworld. Nora is a Nob Hill heiress, a gin-tippling society girl with a spicy sense of humor and a taste for adventure.If that’s not a lovely, bubbling mix of opposites, I don’t know what is.Sean and Trixie: My Own Snooping CoupleIn my first 1920s romantic mystery—It Had to Be You—I created my own snooping couple. Were there shades of Nick and Nora? Some. But as characters always do, my leads took on their own personalities.Sean Costigan knows New York’s shady underworld all too well. He’s a deep-thinking homicide cop with a Philip Marlowe, seen-it-all attitude. The last thing he needs is a perky, bright-eyed Long Island debutante who dreams of becoming the next Nellie Bly.Or so he thinks.
Trixie Frank is indeed a perky, bright-eyed society girl. She’ll inherit her family’s five and dime store fortune someday. But she’s also got ambition. She’s a tabloid reporter with her sights set on the crime beat.
When these two meet, it’s a lovely, bubbling mix of opposites. At least, it has been for me. I’m now at work on their third mystery case.Giveaway!To celebrate the release of my second Trixie Frank – Sean Costigan mystery—Goodbye, Tootsie—I’d be happy to gift one of my romantic mystery ebooks for Kindle to a Book Babe reader.• It Had to Be You (Book 1)An ambitious tabloid reporter stumbles on the story of her career when she joins up with a jaded homicide detective to solve the Central Park murder of a notorious bootlegger.
• Goodbye, Tootsie (Book 2)A homicide detective and a tabloid reporter are on the road to romance but at cross-purposes at work when they investigate the New Year’s Eve murder of a young heiress after she comes into control of a family fortune.
(This gift is available via U.S. Amazon in the Amazon Kindle version only.)To throw your name in the hat, leave a comment no later than July 21st with the book title you’d like and your email address. Winner will be chosen at random on July 22nd.So, tell. Who are your favorite fictional detective duos and why?To get started, here are more of my favorites.• Thomas and Charlotte Pitt (Historical mysteries by Anne Perry)Why? Wonderful romantic chemistry between married sleuths.• Laura Holt and Remington Steele. (Old TV series Remington Steele)Why? Smart and stylish. No one looked better in a fedora than Laura Holt.• Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson (TV series Elementary)
Why? Clever with complex characters.
Happy armchair sleuthing!
Delynn Royer writes historical romantic fiction for the light of heart. Aside from the research that inspires her novels, she enjoys classic movies and yoga. She lives with her husband in Pennsylvania. Follow Delynn on her blog, Twitter and Pinterest.
Links to Blog, Twitter and Pinterest:https://delynnroyer.wordpress.com/new...
Amazon Book Links:
July 13, 2015
Six and a Half Deadly Sins by Colin Cotterill
Six and a Half Deadly Sins is the most recent book in a mystery series that takes place in Laos in the 1970's. If historical fiction is defined as fiction taking place at least fifty years ago, then this series doesn't meet that criterion. The central character, Dr. Siri Paboun, is one of the more memorable mystery protagonists. I've loved him ever since he debuted in The Coroner's Lunch which is still my favorite book in the series. At the beginning of the series he was drafted to become the coroner of Laos. There was no one else who was qualified. At this point, he's retired from the position. Yet Dr. Siri continues to involve himself in murder cases along with his remarkable wife, Madame Daeng.
The title of this book is a pun. In Lao a traditional handwoven skirt is known as a pha sin. Dr. Siri received a sin with a grisly surprise sewn into it. This sent him, his friend Civilai and Madame Daeng to the North of Laos where the sin had been made to investigate further. He traveled from place to place being given sins with more clues. Clues to what? The case is very slow to develop. We don't learn exactly what Siri is investigating until close to the end of the novel. A group of very courageous woman weavers had no other way of exposing a killer who terrified everyone in the region.
Unfortunately, the slowness of plot development is a serious problem. Most of this book had little going for it beyond witty dialogue. Southeast Asia was in tremendous upheaval during the course of this novel, and we are told about these events. Yet very little actually happens in the narrative until we finally find out what's really going on in Northern Laos. Once the plot gets going there is a great deal of suspense and some clever twists, but it's all backloaded toward the end of the book.
By the way, don't cross Madame Daeng. She's quite an action figure for an old lady. There's lots of life in the old girl yet.
So I liked the book by the time I finished it, but 75% of this book had far too leisurely a pace.
The title of this book is a pun. In Lao a traditional handwoven skirt is known as a pha sin. Dr. Siri received a sin with a grisly surprise sewn into it. This sent him, his friend Civilai and Madame Daeng to the North of Laos where the sin had been made to investigate further. He traveled from place to place being given sins with more clues. Clues to what? The case is very slow to develop. We don't learn exactly what Siri is investigating until close to the end of the novel. A group of very courageous woman weavers had no other way of exposing a killer who terrified everyone in the region.
Unfortunately, the slowness of plot development is a serious problem. Most of this book had little going for it beyond witty dialogue. Southeast Asia was in tremendous upheaval during the course of this novel, and we are told about these events. Yet very little actually happens in the narrative until we finally find out what's really going on in Northern Laos. Once the plot gets going there is a great deal of suspense and some clever twists, but it's all backloaded toward the end of the book.
By the way, don't cross Madame Daeng. She's quite an action figure for an old lady. There's lots of life in the old girl yet.
So I liked the book by the time I finished it, but 75% of this book had far too leisurely a pace.
July 11, 2015
The Reading Radar @Kate_Breslin @authorjoditaylo @DinaSleiman1
What's the Reading Radar? It's just a list of books that caught my interest in the last week, why they caught my interest, and HOW. Having been an author myself once upon a time, I was always curious about how to reach readers. I type this up every week to share with readers books they may be interested as well and to let the authors know how they're being "discovered".
Not by Sight by Kate Breslin...spotted on Netgalley and had me from the word "suffragette". Say no more. I'm on it!
With Britain caught up in WWI, Jack Benningham, heir to the Earl of Stonebrooke, has declared himself a conscientious objector. Instead, he secretly works for the Crown by tracking down German spies on British soil, his wild reputation and society status serving as a foolproof cover.
Blinded by patriotism and concern for her brother on the front lines, wealthy suffragette Grace Mabry will do whatever it takes to assist her country's cause. When she sneaks into a posh London masquerade ball to hand out white feathers of cowardice, she never imagines the chain of events she'll set off when she hands a feather to Jack.
And neither of them could anticipate the extent of the danger and betrayal that follows them--or the faith they'll need to maintain hope.
***
Spotted via another author I like on Facebook...this time travel series by Jodi Taylor has hit my radar. The first is: Just One Damned Thing After Another.
A story of history, time travel, love, friendship and tea. Meet the disaster-magnets at the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around history, observing, documenting, drinking tea and, if possible, not dying. Follow the catastrophe-curve from eleventh-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria.
***
Chivalrous by Dina L. Sleiman was spotted on NG. Naturally, I must read this. Woman knight. Nuff said.
Strong and adventurous Gwendolyn Barnes longs to be a knight like her chivalrous brothers. However, that is not an option for her, not even in the Arthurian-inspired Eden where she dwells. Her parents view her only as a marriage pawn, and her domineering father is determined to see her wed to a brutish man who will break her spirit.
When handsome, good-hearted Allen of Ellsworth arrives in Edendale searching for his place in the world, Gwendolyn spies in him the sort of fellow she could imagine marrying. Yet fate seems determined to keep them apart. Tournaments, intrigue, and battles--along with twists and turns aplenty--await these two as they struggle to find love, identity, and their true destinies.
Not by Sight by Kate Breslin...spotted on Netgalley and had me from the word "suffragette". Say no more. I'm on it!With Britain caught up in WWI, Jack Benningham, heir to the Earl of Stonebrooke, has declared himself a conscientious objector. Instead, he secretly works for the Crown by tracking down German spies on British soil, his wild reputation and society status serving as a foolproof cover.
Blinded by patriotism and concern for her brother on the front lines, wealthy suffragette Grace Mabry will do whatever it takes to assist her country's cause. When she sneaks into a posh London masquerade ball to hand out white feathers of cowardice, she never imagines the chain of events she'll set off when she hands a feather to Jack.
And neither of them could anticipate the extent of the danger and betrayal that follows them--or the faith they'll need to maintain hope.
***
Spotted via another author I like on Facebook...this time travel series by Jodi Taylor has hit my radar. The first is: Just One Damned Thing After Another.A story of history, time travel, love, friendship and tea. Meet the disaster-magnets at the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around history, observing, documenting, drinking tea and, if possible, not dying. Follow the catastrophe-curve from eleventh-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria.
***
Chivalrous by Dina L. Sleiman was spotted on NG. Naturally, I must read this. Woman knight. Nuff said.Strong and adventurous Gwendolyn Barnes longs to be a knight like her chivalrous brothers. However, that is not an option for her, not even in the Arthurian-inspired Eden where she dwells. Her parents view her only as a marriage pawn, and her domineering father is determined to see her wed to a brutish man who will break her spirit.
When handsome, good-hearted Allen of Ellsworth arrives in Edendale searching for his place in the world, Gwendolyn spies in him the sort of fellow she could imagine marrying. Yet fate seems determined to keep them apart. Tournaments, intrigue, and battles--along with twists and turns aplenty--await these two as they struggle to find love, identity, and their true destinies.
July 10, 2015
Safe At Last - A Second Chance at Love Story by @maya_banks
Safe At Last is my favorite in the Slow Burn Series so far. I really enjoyed book 1 and book 2 was a miss for me, so I was a little nervous going into book 3. I read this book in an entire afternoon because I needed to know everything that was going to happen and how this story would end. Second chance love stories are a favorite of mine, and this was one of those stories.Zack, who we've met throughout the first two books, has never been able to get over a girl. Twelve years ago she just disappeared on him. He searched and searched, worried she was dead. Until one day a client hires him and he comes face to face with Anna-Grace, aka his Gracie. Only she HATES him for something he did to her, and he has no idea what.
We've been following a group that has been targeting this family in the series, and that group comes into play when they beat Gracie to a pulp, which gives Zack his time to swoop in and try to fix things. As this story unveils and we learn what Gracie thinks that Zack did, I was on the edge of my seat to see how he would prove to her he had nothing to do with it and see her finally let go of the pain from her past.
Even if you've not read the first two in the series, you can still read this one and be able to follow along. I really, really enjoyed this story and hope that Maya Banks is going to continue the story with characters she has introduced. I'm hoping Eliza gets a story soon.
My Rating
About the Book
They say young love doesn't last, but a girl from the wrong side of the tracks with unique abilities and the hometown golden boy were determined to defy the odds. For Zack Covington, Anna-Grace—his "Gracie"—was the one. But one night forever altered the course of their future; when a devastated Gracie disappeared without a trace, Zack was left to agonize over what happened to the girl he loved. As the years passed, his desperate efforts to find her uncovered nothing.
Now working for Devereaux Security, he stumbles across a painting featuring a special place only he and Gracie would know. The image is too perfectly rendered for it to be coincidence. His Gracie must be alive. When he comes face to face with her, he is shocked—and heartbroken—to discover the wounded shell of the girl he once knew and still loves. Her psychic gifts are gone, and worse, she believes he betrayed her all those years ago.
Zack has enemies, and once his weakness is discovered, Gracie becomes a target for revenge. He'll have to save her before he can earn her trust and her love. And he vows they'll never be torn apart again.
July 8, 2015
Sword of the Gladiatrix: Women Duke it Out in the Roman Arena
Publication Date: May 2015Publisher: Raggedy Moon BooksFormats: Trade paperback and eBookISBN: 978-0692386491Pages: 260pp
Genre: Historical/Adventure/Romance/LGBT
Two women. Two swords. One victor.
An action-packed tale that exposes the brutal underside of Imperial Rome, Sword of the Gladiatrix brings to life unforgettable characters and exotic settings. From the far edges of the Empire, two women come to battle on the hot sands of the arena in Nero's Rome: Afra, scout and beast master to the Queen of Kush; and Cinnia, warrior-bard and companion to Queen Boudica of the British Iceni. Enslaved, forced to fight for their lives and the Romans' pleasure; they seek to replace lost friendship, love, and family in each other's arms. But the Roman arena offers only two futures: the Gate of Life for the victors or the Gate of Death for the losers.
Praise for Faith's first book: Selene of Alexandria“A promising new historical novelist [with] the gift for wonderfully researched, vividly evoked, good old-fashioned storytelling.”—Historical Novel Society
“I am blown away and enthralled with the work of this author.”—BookPleasures.com
“Does what historical fiction does best—weaves historical fact, real-life historical figures, and attention to detail with page-turning, plot-driven fiction.”—The Copperfield Review
REVIEW
Having read and enjoyed Russell Whitfield's Gladiatrix, I was pretty excited to give this a go. You can't have too much of a good thing, and women fighting each other in Roman times makes a very exciting story. Throw a conflict such as two women who love each other being forced to fight each other and it's doubly interesting.
But at the same time having read a similar twist before, it made this book a tad predictable. On top of that, the heroines do not actually becomes gladiatrixes until about 65%, so calling this Sword of the Gladiatrix seems a little like false advertising.
That being said, I did enjoy the story. For some reason I connected with Afra way more than I did Cinnia. Cinnia's parts began with her fighting for Boudica. I should have loved this, but her parts fell flat for me and I didn't care for her flashbacks or dreams. Afra's scenes took place in Africa and began when she worked for her Kandake. Circumstances with her stepsister lead to her being enslaved and taken to Rome where she works wonders on a pair of hunting cats. I really liked her character. Cinnia rubbed me wrong a few times and she also ruined the romance for me by getting it on with another chick in the story. What kind of love is that?
Having read about Rome, the fights, and weapons before, I can tell the author did meticulous research into this story and her writing was well done.
Sword of the Gladiatrix Available At
Barnes & NobleCreateSpace (print only)iBooks (ebook only)Kobo (ebook only)Smashwords (ebook only–all formats)About the Author
FAITH L. JUSTICE writes award-winning novels, short stories, and articles in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has appeared in Salon.com, Writer’s Digest, The Copperfield Review, the Circles in the Hair anthology, and many more. She is a frequent contributor to Strange Horizons, Associate Editor for Space and Time Magazine, and co-founded a writer’s workshop many more years ago than she likes to admit. For fun, she digs in the dirt—her garden and various archaeological sites.For more information visit Faith L. Justice's website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Sword of the Gladiatrix Blog TourMonday, June 29
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views
Guest Post at The Writing Desk
Tuesday, June 30
Guest Post at I Heart Reading
Spotlight at What Is That Book About
Wednesday, July 1
Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More
Thursday, July 2
Review at Book Babe
Friday, July 3
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews
Monday, July 6
Review at Book Nerd
Tuesday, July 7
Interview & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, July 8
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation
Thursday, July 9
Review at Genre Queen
Review at Boom Baby Reviews
Guest Post & Giveaway at Unshelfish
Friday, July 10
Review at Bookramblings
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee
July 7, 2015
Flask of the Drunken Master by Susan Spann
Normally, I wouldn't read any book with the word "drunken" in the title because characters who are drunks don't interest me. Yet I felt that I learned things that I hadn't known about 16th century Japan when I read Claws of the Cat, the first book in the Shinobi mystery series by Susan Spann. The series features Father Mateo, a Portuguese Jesuit, and Hiro, the shinobi who is protecting him. Shinobi is the way that Japanese really pronounce the word which is otherwise known as ninja. Ninja is the Chinese pronunciation of the word. That's one of the things that I learned from Claws of the Cat. I hoped to learn more from Flask of the Drunken Master which is the third book in the series.
Over the course of this series I'm getting to know the characters. Since I'm not a Catholic, I hadn't expected Father Mateo to be so sympathetic. In this book he voices opinions that are dangerous in Japan. Yet it occurs to me that they would be just as dangerous in Europe of this period if they were truly taken seriously. Portuguese nobility would not be that different from samurai in wanting to curb any expression of opinions that would threaten their power.
Another character that I was glad to get to know better was Akechi Yoshiko whose father was murdered in Claws of the Cat. Yoshiko, who dresses as a male samurai, is now making her way in the world by hiring herself out as a debt collector. Since the novel is mainly from Hiro's perspective, and he dislikes Yoshiko, it's difficult to get to the truth about this character. Is she a woman of integrity or is she a conniving woman without principle? Is Hiro's concept of Yoshiko distorted? It's interesting, but not unexpected that her clients tend to be women. Most men don't take Yoshiko seriously. Yoshiko's life must be difficult. She would need to have a thick skin and a great deal of persistence to be successful in the career she has chosen. I actually admired Yoshiko. There were other strong women in this novel--most notably the victim's devout Buddhist wife, Mina and Tomiko, the daughter of the man who was accused of killing the victim.
I was noticing Hiro's limitations in this book. I was bothered by the fact that he doesn't understand a basic Buddhist concept. You'd think that he would have been exposed to it previously given the prevalence of Buddhism and Buddhist ideas in Japanese culture. I realize that Hiro isn't a Buddhist himself, and that he has issues with religious beliefs in general. Yet I thought he would be more familiar with Buddhist doctrines.
I also found Hiro's approach to teaching Father Mateo self-defense somewhat problematic, but I suspect that this is an indication that Spann has little knowledge of how the martial arts are taught. Hiro is described as beginning with basic katas. Actually, someone like Father Mateo, who has no experience at all with any martial arts would need to begin with breathing. Then he would need to be taught the proper stance. Only then could he start with katas. Ideally, each kata would be taught individually and mastered before the student moves on to the next one in the sequence.
My biggest issue with Hiro in Flask of the Drunken Master is that I think that he got out of hand and committed an act of completely unnecessary violence. The situation could have been handled differently. It seems to me that Hiro's judgment isn't always reliable and he has a tendency to cover up his mistakes. Of course he doesn't want to lose face in the eyes of those whose respect he needs to maintain, but I wish he were more introspective so that he could learn from his errors. I acknowledge that Hiro is still young. He will hopefully mature over the course of this series.
This was not as enlightening as Claws of the Cat. I also have to say that there were parts of Flask of the Drunken Master that I enjoyed more than others, but I thank the publisher for allowing me access to this book in advance of publication through Net Galley.
July 6, 2015
The Castlemaine Murders--An Untelevised Phryne Fisher Novel
Until I read The Castlemaine Murders I had no reason to think about the Australian TV series Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and how it might be different from the books. I actually didn't know very much about the issue because I hadn't seen very many episodes of the TV series. A few of them appeared on American public television, and it looked like it was a typical situation of adaptations needing to leave out sub-plots or other details due to the constraints of episodic television. I understand that. I try not to let it bother me unless what the TV series leaves out feels very important.
I have a friend on Goodreads whose first exposure to Phryne Fisher was the TV series. She is now reading the books in order, and made a remark that she preferred the TV version because of the lovely relationship between Phryne and Detective Inspector Jack Robinson. I was taken aback by this news because I knew that Jack Robinson was a happily married man in the book version, and that he was much too conventional for Phryne in any case. Yet I still didn't think about how much such a change would matter to me.
I've been reading the Phryne Fisher books in no particular order based on whatever book happened to catch my interest. Enter The Castlemaine Murders stage right. I started reading it and saw that Phryne's lover, Lin Chung, was very prominent.
Then I wondered what they had done with this book on the TV series. I looked at a list of episodes on IMDB and saw that it wasn't there. When I understood that the TV series had engaged in a deliberate de-emphasis of Lin Chung in order to make room for a potential relationship with Jack Robinson, I felt a rant coming on. There really are some serious implications in this change, and for me The Castlemaine Murders represents why it's important.
Phryne Fisher is controversial because she isn't monogamous, and is often considered promiscuous. Yet she does have a primary relationship in Kerry Greenwood's books. He is the man to whom she always returns because he's special, and that special individual is Lin Chung. He is portrayed as not only attractive, but also competent, intelligent, resourceful,compassionate, courageous, loyal, generous and considerate. He also has remarkably good taste. He is rooted in his culture. He feels committed to his family and community. Unlike many Asian characters in fiction who make their home in the West, identity isn't a troublesome question for him. He knows who he is, and where he belongs. He isn't lost and has no feelings of angst. Yes, he's idealized. Yet it does mean something that for Phryne Fisher the perfect man doesn't have the same background as she does. Kerry Greenwood celebrates diversity through the relationship between Phryne Fisher and Lin Chung.
In The Castlemaine Murders Lin Chung comes into his own. He has carried out important missions for his family before, but in this book he's shown as establishing diplomatic links with other Chinese families and taking a philanthropic role in giving assistance to elderly impoverished Chinese.
The significance of this novel goes beyond Lin Chung's metamorphosis into a family and community leader. It also deals with race hatred directed at the Chinese in the Australian Gold Rush during the 19th century. There is mention of an extraordinary individual, a white Australian constable named Thomas Cooke who risked his life to stop an anti-Chinese riot. There is a commemorative plaque devoted to Thomas Cooke which can be found at the Monument Australia website. This history needs to be remembered. Racism is a worldwide problem, but it's possible to make a stand against it. It is the presence of Lin Chung in the book series that allowed Kerry Greenwood to address this theme.
My feeling is that the choice to make Lin Chung a minor background character in the TV series reflects a discomfort with the interracial relationship and with the potential of this character to raise issues that are equally disquieting. Replacing him in Phryne's life with Detective Inspector Jack Robinson makes the TV series more like a conventional crime series. It probably broadens the appeal of the TV series, but I consider it a disservice to a character that I love.
The Castlemaine Murders could have made a powerful episode in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Fortunately, the novel still exists to show us that a Phryne with Lin Chung is far more interesting than a Phryne without him.
I have a friend on Goodreads whose first exposure to Phryne Fisher was the TV series. She is now reading the books in order, and made a remark that she preferred the TV version because of the lovely relationship between Phryne and Detective Inspector Jack Robinson. I was taken aback by this news because I knew that Jack Robinson was a happily married man in the book version, and that he was much too conventional for Phryne in any case. Yet I still didn't think about how much such a change would matter to me.
I've been reading the Phryne Fisher books in no particular order based on whatever book happened to catch my interest. Enter The Castlemaine Murders stage right. I started reading it and saw that Phryne's lover, Lin Chung, was very prominent.
Then I wondered what they had done with this book on the TV series. I looked at a list of episodes on IMDB and saw that it wasn't there. When I understood that the TV series had engaged in a deliberate de-emphasis of Lin Chung in order to make room for a potential relationship with Jack Robinson, I felt a rant coming on. There really are some serious implications in this change, and for me The Castlemaine Murders represents why it's important.
Phryne Fisher is controversial because she isn't monogamous, and is often considered promiscuous. Yet she does have a primary relationship in Kerry Greenwood's books. He is the man to whom she always returns because he's special, and that special individual is Lin Chung. He is portrayed as not only attractive, but also competent, intelligent, resourceful,compassionate, courageous, loyal, generous and considerate. He also has remarkably good taste. He is rooted in his culture. He feels committed to his family and community. Unlike many Asian characters in fiction who make their home in the West, identity isn't a troublesome question for him. He knows who he is, and where he belongs. He isn't lost and has no feelings of angst. Yes, he's idealized. Yet it does mean something that for Phryne Fisher the perfect man doesn't have the same background as she does. Kerry Greenwood celebrates diversity through the relationship between Phryne Fisher and Lin Chung.
In The Castlemaine Murders Lin Chung comes into his own. He has carried out important missions for his family before, but in this book he's shown as establishing diplomatic links with other Chinese families and taking a philanthropic role in giving assistance to elderly impoverished Chinese.
The significance of this novel goes beyond Lin Chung's metamorphosis into a family and community leader. It also deals with race hatred directed at the Chinese in the Australian Gold Rush during the 19th century. There is mention of an extraordinary individual, a white Australian constable named Thomas Cooke who risked his life to stop an anti-Chinese riot. There is a commemorative plaque devoted to Thomas Cooke which can be found at the Monument Australia website. This history needs to be remembered. Racism is a worldwide problem, but it's possible to make a stand against it. It is the presence of Lin Chung in the book series that allowed Kerry Greenwood to address this theme.
My feeling is that the choice to make Lin Chung a minor background character in the TV series reflects a discomfort with the interracial relationship and with the potential of this character to raise issues that are equally disquieting. Replacing him in Phryne's life with Detective Inspector Jack Robinson makes the TV series more like a conventional crime series. It probably broadens the appeal of the TV series, but I consider it a disservice to a character that I love.
The Castlemaine Murders could have made a powerful episode in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. Fortunately, the novel still exists to show us that a Phryne with Lin Chung is far more interesting than a Phryne without him.
July 2, 2015
Second Street Station: A Mary Handley Mystery (A Mary Handley Mystery #1) by Lawrence H. Levy
I had an absolutely good time reading this historical mystery with the most intriguing cast of characters--from Thomas Edison to J.P. Putnam to Tesla (Yes, Tesla was responsible for AC electricity. We're not talking about the car.)But in the middle of the drama--Who invented what? Who's stealing what? Who is Bowler Hat going to kill next? And heck, even the invention of the electric chair--and the interesting characters, the heroine of the story steals the show. Mary.
Mary's mother is ashamed of her. Mary is unconventional. She doesn't want to get married and have babies. She can't even make French toast. And she curses sometimes. She wants to be a detective. She runs through the streets after bad guys, tearing at her corset so she can breathe. She's scandalous!
And I loved her. She stands up for herself and others, does the right thing, and has a sense of humor, or at least the narrative does. The narrative is different, in a good way. It head hops skillfully between characters, is in third person, and is not jarring. It's very well done.
The mystery is simple: a man is dead. Who killed him? Only the people, inventions, a journal...all makes it more complicated than it needs to be, which also keeps the reader guessing. Not an easy solve, this one.
On top of that, Mary is the first woman working with/on the police force. She must deal with all kinds of discrimination.
There's a romance that seemed out of place and I question why it was there. It fell flat in light of circumstances I can't reveal without spoiling things. I'd rather it not have been there at all. But the addition of real-life people, the inventions and the stories surrounding them...really made this go from cool book to awesome book. I'll be reading more of Mary's adventures. She has a lot of them! From attacks in alleys to martial arts to hijacking trolleys...
July 1, 2015
Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes
I'm not embarrassed to admit that I liked Ninth Ward which was Jewell Parker Rhodes' Hurricane Katrina novel written for children. I recently discovered that she had written another children's novel called Bayou Magic which deals with important themes. It also has a beautiful cover.
Maddy was a ten year old from New Orleans who went to spend the summer with her grandmother at Bon Temps Bayou. Her grandmother was an herbalist. She also carried the history of her maternal line going back to the ancestress who came from Africa accompanied by the spirit that she worshiped. This spirit is known as Mami Wata.
I had heard of Mami Wata but knew very little about her. I was under the impression that she had originated in Benin like the spirits known as the Loa. The Loa are the spirits of Voodoo. Jewell Parker Rhodes had been writing about Voodoo in a series of novels for adults. Yet Mami Wata wasn't originally part of the Voodoo pantheon. Her origin is definitely West African, but I don't see any evidence that she came from any particular place. One theory is that she actually began as The African Manatee who is apparently called Maame Water. I think there's a chicken and egg problem there. The African manatee could have been named after the spirit who was already being worshiped in ancient West Africa.
I got to know Mami Wata a bit better through the eyes of Maddy in Bayou Magic. Maddy was the first in several generations of her family to see and speak to Mami Wata. At first Maddy thinks it's "only a dream", but dreams are important in African traditions. It's one of the ways that spirits can communicate with human beings.
Although Maddy's grandmother never saw Mami Wata herself, I was impressed with her wisdom. When Maddy told her that she wanted to be a hero, her response was "To be a hero, bad things have to happen." Maddy's grandmother also sensed that bad things were indeed about to happen and that Bayou Bon Temps was in jeopardy. The approaching disaster turned about to be very real, and a massive disruption of the environment of the entire region. How could a ten year old have any impact on such a cataclysm? Maybe she could with the help of magic, and a certain West African water spirit.
So age old religion collides with contemporary environmental concerns, and a little girl does have a chance to be a hero. I loved it. I'll definitely need to catch up on Jewell Parker Rhodes novels that I've missed.
Maddy was a ten year old from New Orleans who went to spend the summer with her grandmother at Bon Temps Bayou. Her grandmother was an herbalist. She also carried the history of her maternal line going back to the ancestress who came from Africa accompanied by the spirit that she worshiped. This spirit is known as Mami Wata.
I had heard of Mami Wata but knew very little about her. I was under the impression that she had originated in Benin like the spirits known as the Loa. The Loa are the spirits of Voodoo. Jewell Parker Rhodes had been writing about Voodoo in a series of novels for adults. Yet Mami Wata wasn't originally part of the Voodoo pantheon. Her origin is definitely West African, but I don't see any evidence that she came from any particular place. One theory is that she actually began as The African Manatee who is apparently called Maame Water. I think there's a chicken and egg problem there. The African manatee could have been named after the spirit who was already being worshiped in ancient West Africa.
I got to know Mami Wata a bit better through the eyes of Maddy in Bayou Magic. Maddy was the first in several generations of her family to see and speak to Mami Wata. At first Maddy thinks it's "only a dream", but dreams are important in African traditions. It's one of the ways that spirits can communicate with human beings.
Although Maddy's grandmother never saw Mami Wata herself, I was impressed with her wisdom. When Maddy told her that she wanted to be a hero, her response was "To be a hero, bad things have to happen." Maddy's grandmother also sensed that bad things were indeed about to happen and that Bayou Bon Temps was in jeopardy. The approaching disaster turned about to be very real, and a massive disruption of the environment of the entire region. How could a ten year old have any impact on such a cataclysm? Maybe she could with the help of magic, and a certain West African water spirit.
So age old religion collides with contemporary environmental concerns, and a little girl does have a chance to be a hero. I loved it. I'll definitely need to catch up on Jewell Parker Rhodes novels that I've missed.
June 30, 2015
Bad Ex Karma by Donna Cummings - humorous story
Over the weekend I read my first Donna Cummings book, Bad Ex Karma. I was engrossed with this book from page one. I really liked the authors writing style. It reminded me of several NYT authors I've read, such as Janet Evanovich.The story starts with Delia in bed after bad sex with her 5 year boyfriend. When evening comes, she's expecting a proposal since it's their anniversary, instead she gets dumped. It's then the cycle starts. Any man who shows interest in her, winds up in the ER. However, when she meets Mr. Cilantro aka Jonathan, he seems to be immune to her curse.
This is a light-hearted story full of comical scenes between Delia and her friends as they play matchmaker. This is a romance and it's a clean one. Not sweaty scenes in this story, which was fine. Not all stories need to go into great detail in that department.
This won't be my last Donna Cummings book.
My Rating:
About The Book
The dating gods must be crazy.
I'd thought my five-year anniversary would include a fancy dinner, some great sex, and maybe fending off a marriage proposal. Instead, it was the worst sex ever, and at the restaurant, my boyfriend broke up with me.
It's like I've been cursed with Bad Ex Karma. Whenever I try to date a new guy, he ends up with a concussion or a trip to the ER.
My internal "disaster consultants", the What Ifs, completely missed the clues leading to the breakup, so now they're working overtime to protect me from another potential heartbreak. My two best friends set me up on dates while assuring me it won't put men on the endangered species list.
There's one man who seems completely immune to the curse: a sexy chef named Jonathan. He keeps popping up in my life, and he stirs up the most delicious feelings. Maybe Bad Ex Karma isn't such a bad thing after all. . .
