Ahira's Hangar

I found The Bohemian Murders to be a good enough read, that I am moving on to the next book in the series, Emperor Norton's Ghost. Fremont has moved from the Carmel area back to San Francisso, which is being massively rebuilt after the great earthquake and fire. Rather than being a typist, she has gone into a partnership and will help run and operate a detective agency. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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Well, I did not like Emperor Norton's Ghost as much as the book that preceeded it. It was centered around mediums and other supernatural sorts of things that I have little belief or interest in, so just was not as compelling a story to me. That said, it was still a decent read, and I have decided to move on to the next book Death Train to Boston.

In this book Fremont Jones has been in some sort of accident on a train and is carried off by a weird fringe-Mormon who decides to add her to his harem of wives. In the meantime, her associates in San Francisco are desperately trying to find out what has happened to her... <i></i>

Death Train to Boston has turned out to be more interesting than I thought it would. The interaction between the husband and his harem of five wives - and most especially the interaction between the five wives when by themselves - is very well done. The women are rivals for staus and sex and attention - but they are also friends (and some of them are sisters), and they have to cooperate with each other for living the difficult life on the Utah frontier in the Wasatch mountains of 100 years ago. A lot of food for thought is in the interactions and relationships of the women. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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I have finally finished Death Train to Boston and have begun the next book (and the last of the ones my friend gave me) Beacon Street Mourning. Fremont is still suffering from hte injuries she suffered the last book. The serious injuries are not healing quickly or well. She then receives word that her father, back in Boston, is seriously ill.

So, while still seriously injured, she decides to travel to Boston from her home in San Francisco as quickly as she can.

And when she gets there, she decides that her father's mysterious illness is quite suspicious... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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I am a bit burned out on fantasy and science fiction books at the moment, and have decided to play catch up with some of my favorite mystery series. I think I have mentioned these in earlier posts in this thread; though it is possible that the hacker attack might have eaten some of those mentions...

I have read the latest book in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series by Alexander McCall Smith. It is called In the Company of Cheerful Ladies. Danlo, if you see this, please let Lady Tam know that I think she might really enjoy these books! They are set in Botswana, which sounds like a truly lovely place. The main characters are all very likeable people that you would like to have as friends if you were to ever meet them. There is a great warmth to these stories.

Next up was the latest Blackbird Sisters Mystery by Nancy Martin, called Have Your Cake and Kill Him Too. These stories are about three sisters born to a cursed family. Every daughter born in that family from Colonial days is attracted to bad boys who die young, leaving them as young and beautiful widows. This generation contains three such women. They were once wealthy and powerful in Philly high society, but their parents skipped town leaving them huge tax bills and odds and ends, such as the colonial era estate (which is falling apart), an art collection which cannot be sold due to sentimental value, vintage couture, etc. The books are written in a very funny tongue-in-cheek style as the girls try to come to grips with having to work, widowhood, etc.

Then came the latest Mrs. Murphy Mystery by Rita Mae Brown and her cat Sneaky Pie Brown, called Sour Puss. This series is set in small town Virginia, among the horse breeding set whose roots go back to colonial days. The main characters are a girl everyone calls Harry, her friends and aquaintances in the small town of Crozette, and especially her beloved animals - Mrs. Murphy, a tabby cat; Pewter, a fat gray cat; and Tee Tucker, a Welsh corgi. Harry is insatiably nosy and gets involved in investigating all of the major crimes in her small town. This novel involves grape growing, bioterrorism, wine making, and murder.

Last but not least was the latest mystery novel by Nevada Barr. I do not know if this series has a name, but the books are all about a woman named Anna Pigeon who works as a Ranger in the National Park Service. In order to get ahead in the service you have to move around a lot and work in a variety of the parks. This book sees her get a promotion and moving from the Natchez Parkway in Mississippi to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. While there she has to deal with a case of nearly unimaginable child abuse. It was actually pretty grim reading. However, having been to Rocky Mountain National Park, knowing how beautiful it is there - and even having driven some of those roads and hiked some of those trails - it was cool reading about the Park, even though I found the mystery itself to be very disturbing. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi at: 4/18/06 10:45 am
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I have been reading a mystery book lent to me by that mystery book loving friend over the past few days. As usual with this friend, it is a book that is part of a series, but it is not the first book in that series. Luckily, I can pick up on most of what is currently happening, though the references to the past are all sailing over my head. It looks as if it might be the second book in The Pennsylvania Dutch Mysteries and is called Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, & Crime.

It tells the story of a Mennonite lady named Magdelena Yoder (who has a bad temper and a really smart mouth) who has turned the old family farm into a B&B. A Hollywood film company rents out the inn to be a movie location, and murder follows.
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Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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I am currently about halfway through the latest in Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series, called Blue Shoes and Happiness. These books are astonishly warm, and the setting of Botswana is always interesting and exotic. That beautiful country almost functions as another character in these books.

In this particular installment, Precious Ramotswe is on the trail of a blackmailer. She is also trying to find the cause of trouble on a nearby game reserve. Her assistant, Grace Makutsi, is trying to work out some personal problems.

These books feature well devleoped characters whom you would like to have as personal friends. They are not perfect people, but they are good people. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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This morning I finished up Blood Orange Brewing, the latest in the Tea Shop Mystery series by Laura Childs.

This series of seven (thus far) books are set in the historic area of Charleston, South Carolina in a tea shop and centers around the owner of the shop, Theodosia Browning, her pet dog Earl Grey, and her two employees, the gifted baker named Hayley, and the master tea blender, an older gentleman named Drayton. Crimes seem to often occur when they are catering events filled with wealthy Charlestonians, and Theo gets involved in investigating them.

The books in the series:
Death by Darjeeling
Gunpowder Green
Shades of Earl Grey
The English Breakfast Murder
The Jasmine Moon Murder
Chamomile Mourning
Blood Orange Brewing
Dragonwell Dead (forthcoming)

The author has another series set in a craft store in New Orleans called The Scrapbooking Mysteries, but I do not like those very much. I do not care for the main character, so the books are not as enjoyable to me. In addition, the tea shop books include all sorts of tea making tips, and yummy recipes and stuff, which adds another layer of enjoyment to them.

The author's website is at Laura Childs ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi at: 5/21/06 10:28 am
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I just finished up Legend of the Jade Dragon, a Chintz 'n China mystery by Yasmine Galenorn. Emerald moves to a small town in Washington State following a bitter divorce, along with her two kids. She opens a small tea shop, which also sells china and where she gives tarot readings. One day a man comes in for a tarot reading, which shows chaos and disaster. He is run down by a car, right in front of the tea shop and the horrified Emerald. She tries to find soem answers about the man and about the priceless jade dragon he left behind in her shop, and the answers are rather frightening... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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I recently finished a short novel by Nancy Atherton called Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday. Like many of the mysteries I read, it was passed on to me by a friend, and is part of a series (and as usual, with this particular friend, not the first book, either). An American lady living in England is married to a lawyer. Her husband works for a very wealthy earl. Her best fiend is married to the Earl's estranged only son. She and her husband are invited to a "family reunion" of sorts at the Earl's estate, to settle the heirship (her husband as a lawyer, she as a support to her friend and the friend's husband and stepchildren). Murder attempts are made on the Earl's nephew, the leading candidate to be heir after the estranged son (or to perhaps replace the son). The mystery revolves around who is supporting which heir, and why, and how to stop the attempts before someone is killed... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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I recently read Pride and Prescience, a Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery by Carrie Bebris. I was a bit alarmed at the prospect of seeing some of my all time favorite characters in a short mystery novel by an author I am not familiar with, but as soon as I realized that these were only loosely based upon the beloved characters of Pride and Prejudice I was able to read the book on its own merits. (I mentally treated them as new characters with the same names and backgrounds). It was set in Regency England, in both London and the coutryside. Much of the plot revolves around the marital adventures of Bingley's unpleasant sister.

The author's website is at www.carriebebris.com ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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I just got done reading a great little anthology of short mystery stories called Malice Domestic. I really loved many of the stories, especially one by Charlotte and Aaron Elkins called "Nice Gorilla" where a gorilla in a zoo must be defended from an accusation of murder.

The authors and stories:
The Perplexing Puzzle of the Perfidious Pigeon Poisoner by Charlotte MacLeod
Windkill by D. R. Meredith
The Cottonwood Creek Caper by Diane Mott Davidson
Angel on the Loose by Valerie Frankel
The Ties That Bind by L.B. Greenwood
Nice Gorilla by Charlotte and Aaron Elkins
Take Care of Yourself by Janet LaPierre
The Last to Know by Joan Hess
Henrie O's Holiday by Carolyn G. Hart
Night Visitor by Audrey peterson
Homebodies by Barbara Paul
Happiness is a Dead Poet by Sharyn McCrumb
the Jersey Lily; or, Make Me Immortal With a Kiss by P.M. Carlson
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Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
<i>Edited by: Duchess of Malfi at: 7/24/06 10:36 pm
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...as you may know my dad loves mysteries and I've finally got him to read Donaldson's The Man Who Fought Alone--he loves Albq. so he should really dig it! *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i></i>

That one is actually set in what I think is a fictionalized Vegas rather than Albuquerque. But that's OK, because it is a wonderful story anyway. I know Syl also loved that one, and I would really like Fisty to try it someday. Great story, where the main character in the series finally starts coming into his own. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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A couple of recent reads:

The Chocolate Bridal Bash is the latest Chocoholic Mystery by Joanna Carl. Lee McKinney is planning her small wedding in the tiny Michigan resort town where she lives. Her mother does not want to return to the town of her birth for the wedding. Irked and mystified, Lee asks her aunt, owner of the local chocolate shop, how to deal with the problem. A huge mystery in Lee's mother's past is revealed. Lee decides to tackle this mystery, in hopes of getting things running smoothly for the wedding.

The Strange Files of Fremont Jones by Dianne Day is the first of the Fremont Jones Mysteries. Caroline Fremont Jones is a Boston aristocrat from the turn of the century. She is also spunky and very free thinking for her time (and she despises wearing a corset). When her father decides to marry a very conventional widow, who hopes to marry her off to an odious nephew, Caroline decides to run away from Boston. She takes her mother's legacy and takes the train out to San Francisco, where she begins a new life as Fremont Jones, who types manuscripts for a living in a small office in the year 1905. Her typing brings mysteries and excitement in her life through some very unusual clients. ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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