Mysteries, Cozy and Not So Cozy

Interested in a good mystery? Here are the recommendations from the Mystery Readers Group, which is sponsored by the Friends of the Library in Visalia. For March we decided to read a book by a “new-to-us” author. Most of these books can be found at your local library.

Susan read Head Hunters by Norwegian writer, Jo Nesbø

Head Hunters in this case refers to Roger Brown, a headhunter for an Oslo employment agency.

His wife, Diana, owns an art gallery that is losing money, so he decides to supplement his income by stealing expensive works of art. It's a twisted tale with creative killings and near misses numerous enough to keep a reader turning the page. Susan said she plans to read more of his books.

Viviane read Murder at The Monk’s Table by Sister Carol Ann O’Marie

In this cozy mystery, two nuns, Sister Eileen and Sister Mary Helen receive the gift of a trip to Ireland for an oyster festival. While there, they visit an eating establishment called The Monk’s Table, and find a hated reporter is stabbed to death in the ladies’ room. Sister Mary Helen puts her uncanny sleuthing ability to work to uncover the culprit. This book is light and fun with not a lot of Irish stereotyping.

Charlotte read A Fine Italian Hand by William Murray.

The place is Milan, Italy. The main character, Shifty Lew Anderson, who is a magician, is there to speak at a magician’s conference. He befriends a naïve young model who is murdered. When the police head in the wrong direction to solve the crime, the young woman’s father comes from the U.S. and hires Shifty to investigate. It has a surprise ending and vivid descriptions the life and culture of Italy.

Deidra read Waiting For Armando by Judith Ivie.

Legal secretaries will be thrilled with this book. The protagonist, Kate Lawrence, works for a law firm. When one of the law partners is murdered and his secretary is the main suspect, Kate and her fellow secretaries ban together to solve the crime and clear her name. A fun read in spite of its flaws.

Sharon read The Stone Cutter by Camilla Lackberg.

This book is a Swedish psychological thriller. The scene is a small resort town in the off-season. A lobsterman hauls in his net and finds a seven-year-old dead girl tangled in it. At first it’s thought she drown, but when the autopsy finds bath water in her lungs, it is evidence of murder. Detective Patrik Hedstrom’s investigation uncovers warring neighbors and unhappy couples. The layered story delves back into history of the townspeople in the ‘20s, and it turns out that several people might have committed the crime. But in the end all the threads of the tale tie together.

Kathy read A Plain Death by Amanda Flower.

The story takes place in an Ohio Amish College town. The protagonist is Chloe Humphrey, a computer whiz at the college. She befriends an Amish teenager, who has just been tossed out of her home and takes her as a roommate. Without Chloe’s knowledge, the girl takes her car to look for a job. The brakes fail, she hits an Amish buggy and a church Bishop is killed. When it’s discovered that the brake line had been cut, murder is suspected leading Chloe to become a sleuth to learn who the intended victim really was.

Sheryl read Moon Spinners by Sally Goldenbaum

The Seaside Knitters are at it again. The murder occurs in a small town on the coast of Massachusetts when the wealthy aunt of a local café owner drives off a cliff. Tampered brakes signal murder and the Knitters join forces to discover who is responsible. This cozy has an intriguing plot in a town full interesting characters.

I read Generous Death by Nancy Pickard

Money is at the root of three murders and one near miss in this cozy mystery that takes place in Port Frederick, MA. Jenny Cain, director of the Civic Foundation, knows about the plans of the town’s wealthiest citizens to remember The Foundation in their wills. When these individuals are found dead and a nasty rhyme is found at the scene, murder is suspected. In each instance, their money is not destined for The Foundation. Is the killer intent on ruining The Foundation or is it Jenny who is the target? A well-crafted book with a little romance for good measure.

At long last I’m finally getting around to talking to Suzanne Clevenger about her new book, Pastures of Hope. I’m ashamed of myself for taking so long. The book is doing very well and many have enjoyed receiving inspiration from these women’s stories of courage.

Suzanne, welcome and congratulations. Where did you get your idea for Pastures of Hope?

 Life. I consider myself an inspirational writer and have learned that God never wastes a moment of our life experiences. He wants us to grow from them whether they are good or bad, and hopefully we can share those experiences with others to help them grow as well.

Where did you find these courageous women?

As I’ve ministered to women over the past twenty years or so, I’ve found they all have one thing in common. They are all looking for hope to get them through a difficult ordeal. Many of them have given me permission to tell their stories to others in order to let them know they are not alone. I also find great inspiration from the Bible. I am impacted by the relevancy of the Scriptures in today’s world. It doesn’t matter what we’re dealing with: finances, child rearing, marriage, pain, joy, loss, success, conflict, betrayal or renewal—it’s all covered between the pages of the Bible.

Besides the Bible and Pastures of Hope, what other books would you recommend to people seeking guidance?

Many authors are good at that, but Anne Graham Lotz is one who never ceases to amaze me in her writings. She seems to always hit the target dead center. Jill Briscoe is another one. I own many of their books and have had several opportunities to sit under their teachings in person. The devotional that really helped turn my life around is My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.

It must have been very satisfying to have your book published and be received so well.

Seeing the finished book, and my name on the cover—Wow! Can it get any better than that? And then there are the wonderful reviews I’m receiving from people who’ve read it. I’m humbled by the whole thing. Never in a million years would I have thought this could happen for me.

The first rewarding experience was working through the process itself. It takes a lot of discipline to make the effort and time to write, and I’m not very good at that. I have so many interests and it’s easy to become way too distracted during the day.

When you’re not writing, what occupies you days?

Besides writing, I enjoy working in our gardens, quilting and knitting. However the best times are those spent with our family. Three of our grandchildren will turn twenty this year. We know our quality time with them is growing short. They’ll soon be off on their own and starting their own families.

My husband, Ron, and I have a blended family comprised of four children and seven grandchildren. After experiencing previous marriages and divorces, we’ve learned over time that there are consequences of divorce that we’d never considered, and that divorce was never in God’s plan. But, once again, God used our past mistakes to turn them around for His use and glory. Today we have a rewarding ministry reaching out to couples facing difficulty in their respective marriages. We use biblical principles and have seen some wonderful reconciliations take place.

What is your next project?

It’s a memoir. Now I’m writing about what it was like for me as a little girl growing up in the 40’s and 50’s. It was such a different time for children than now. Life was simpler for us on so many levels. I’m doing this primarily for my children and grandchildren, but someone pointed out to me just today that others may be interested too.

As for anything beyond that, I’m not sure. So many ideas flow through my head all the time. That’s just part of the creative process. Eventually it will all settle down and a new story will emerge. Until then….

Profiles in Courage

If you’ve ever experienced a critical time when you felt like you’d hit a brick wall with nowhere to turn, you’ll identify with each woman in these true stories. If you’re at that point now, you’ll draw strength from how these courageous women found healing and hope in the future. In these difficult times, this book might be just what you need to help you face tomorrow.

A Great Place to Find Good Books

Last Thursday evening, Sylvia Ross and I had the opportunity to sign our books (East of the Great Valley and Lottie’s Legacy) at the Book Garden in downtown Exeter. The sidewalks were full of people having a great time Christmas shopping in the local stores. All the buildings were lit up and the old fire truck was giving people a ride around town. It was gratifying to see so many people in the book store buying books as gifts. We sold a satisfying number of our books, which was a thrill, and we had a chance to see old friends and met new ones.

E-reader competition

I found this on the website of Russo's Book Store in Bakersfield. It was too good to pass up. GG

This has been floating around the internet for a number of years.  To the best of our research the author is unknown, so we do not know to whom to attribute it.  Enjoy!

Announcing the new Bio-Optical Organized Knowledge-device (BOOK). The BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: No wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use even a child can operate it. Just lift its cover!

Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc. Here's how it works...

Each BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information.  These pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs in half. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now BOOKs with more information simply use more pages. This makes them thicker and harder to carry, and has drawn some criticism from the mobile computing crowd.

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. The BOOK may be taken up at any time and used by merely opening it. The BOOK never crashes and never needs rebooting, though like other display devices it can become unusable if dropped overboard. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval.

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open the BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session -- even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous BOOKmarks can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.

You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Stylus (PENCILS).

Portable, durable, and affordable, the BOOK is being hailed as the entertainment wave of the future. The BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform. Look for a flood of new titles soon.

Taste of the Arts Festival - Visalia

I joined a number of other members of the Tulare-Kings Writers at the September 29^th Taste of the Arts Festival in Visalia sponsored by the City of Visalia. Held at The Old Lumber Yard on Oak and Garden Streets, it was the first time that writers have been included. It ran from 11 A.M. – 5 P.M. with each of us having a table on which to display and hopefully sell our books.

It was quite hot that day, but the people who put on the event were great. The staff came around to each booth with cold water on an hourly basis. They brought us a Subway box lunch that had been donated by the Tulare County Symphony. And in the middle of the afternoon, volunteers showed up to give us an opportunity to take a break. I couldn’t have asked for better treatment.

On the following Monday evening, in conjunction with the Arts Festival, the Tulare-Kings Writers held a literary show-and-tell at Café 210. Several of us had an opportunity to read from our works: poetry, short story, or excerpt from a book. It was so much fun to hear what other writers have produced. And we had a chance to sell a few books too. It was a great evening.

Kindred Crimes by Janet Dawson. My choice for September

The Friends of the Library Mystery Readers Group in Visalia decided to choose a new-to-you mystery for September, which meant the members could pick a new book by a favorite author, or a book by a new-to-you author.

I chose Kindred Crimes, Janet Dawson’s debut mystery. Kindred Crimes was nominated for Shamus, Anthony and Macavity Awards in 1991 and won St. Martin’s Press/Private Eye Writers of America contest.

A simple missing person case turns out to be more complicated than San Francisco P.I., Jeri Howard, ever thought it would be. Jeri is hired by Richard Foster to find his missing wife, Renee. The woman left their son with his mother and disappeared. During the first few days of searching, Jeri learns that Renee isn’t the woman’s real name, but when she reports that to Richard, he fires her. Normally, that would be the end of it. Not for Jeri. She doesn’t like being fired and she doesn’t like leaving a case unfinished. It’s evident that Richard’s parents are pulling the strings, that they hate the missing woman, and believe she’s guilty of child abuse. Is it true? Jeri is all the more determined to find her.

Thus begins this fast paced mystery, leading the reader from one page to the next like a chicken following a line of corn kernels. Using the missing woman’s real name, Jeri probes into Renee’s family background and learns that years earlier the missing woman’s brother murdered their parents. He plead guilty and went to jail without any explanation.

Before long Jeri has located other family members and one of them, the aunt who raised Renee, hires Jeri to find her. The trail of bread crumbs (or corn kernels) leads to the brother, now out of jail, and a troubled younger sister, who seems to hold the key to the unfortunate family saga. Along the way, Jeri uncovers a blackmail scheme; gets beat up by a couple of thugs, and is shot at by a killer. When push comes to shove, Jeri Howard is a pretty tough lady and can handle herself well.

Even though I guessed the core of the mystery early on, I enjoyed this book because of the fast moving pace and the characters. In fact, I’ve already loaded the next in the series to my Kindle.