Books Blog : mysteries, mystery series

Commander Jana Matinova investigates

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:54:00 GMT

I've discovered a new mystery author and series to read! I was reading reviews of forthcoming books and very much liked what I read about The Magician's Accomplice by Michael Genelin. I looked to see if we had the earlier books in the series. We do, but they haven't been checked out and read very much. So I decided to read the earlier books before deciding whether or not to get the new title.

I read both Siren of the Waters and Dark Dreams over the Memorial Day weekend; I did very little else. The Magician's Accomplice is third in the series, scheduled for publication in July. Jana Matinova is a very fine investigator committed to seeking justice. Her personal life is complicated. She works for the police force in Bratislava, capitol of the current Slovakia, growing up there during the time the Czechoslovakian Communists were in control. I became interested enough in the setting to look up some of the history of Bratislava. From 1918-1939, and again from 1945-1992, it was part of Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovakian Communists came to power in 1947. From 1939-1945 Bratislava was an independent state under German direction. The Slovak Republic, or Slovakia, became an independent state with Bratislava as its capitol in 1993. This is a part of the world I heard very little about during the time period in which the novels are set, when I was also growing up. Genelin provides a window into that world the makes it more comprehensible to me. Jana travels to Venice, Nice, Strasbourg, and Kiev during her investigations - descriptions of the settings, the politics, and the people add tremendously to the very suspenseful and well-written story. I loved these books.

The Mystery of the Secret Ingredient in the Chocolate Chip Cookies

kiya@evpl — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:26:00 GMT

David Handler started it all. I had enjoyed his mystery series about the ghostwriter Stewart Hoag and his dog Lulu, so when he started a new mystery series, I was one of the first to read about Mitch Berger, a New York film critic, and Lt. Desiree Mitry, a Connecticut State Trooper. There are now six Berger & Mitry mysteries, and I enjoyed them all, and always eager to see a new one arrive. I definitely recommend reading them in order, as the relationship between Mitch and Dez grows.

An interesting sidelight to this recommendation is that the early books mention Mitch's neighbor, who makes the best chocolate chip cookies, but won't share the identity of her secret ingredient. Mitch does her grocery shopping, so he has a pretty good idea that the secret ingredient is sour cream, but he doesn't inform his neighbors (only the readers of the book). The recipe, however, is not included.

I'm always looking for good cookie recipes, so I've kept my eyes open for a chocolate chip cookie recipe with sour cream as an ingredient, but never found one. Even A Baker's Field Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies didn't have one that looked right. Then last month, Shh I'm Reading blogged about finding recipes online, and while playing with those sites, I located several chocolate chip cookie recipes with sour cream as an ingredient. My daughter and I are testing them now, and when we declare a winner, I'll post a link to that recipe. Meanwhile, enjoy some David Handler mysteries! (And if you have a good sour cream chocolate chip cookie recipe, feel free to post it!)

Mitch Berger and Desiree Mitry:

Stewart Hoag and Lulu: (these books have all been out of print, but the first four have recently been reprinted by Busted Flush Press, dedicated to reprints of fine hardboiled crime fiction)

1. The Man Who Died Laughing
2. The Man Who Lived By Night
3. The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald
4. The Woman Who Fell From Grace
5. The Boy Who Never Grew Up - out of print
6. The Man Who Cancelled Himself - out of print
7. The Girl Who Ran Off With Daddy - out of print
8. The Man Who Loved Women To Death - out of print

David Handler's website

Busted Flush Press

Elementary, my dear Peabody ...

myzticrhythmz@evpl — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:37:00 GMT

There are some books you read to stay current and informed, and some that you read because you "should" or you "have to". Then there are the books you read simply for the pure enjoyment of reading them.

One of my favorite fun reads is the Amelia Peabody mystery series by Elizabeth Peters. This series features intrepid Egyptologist Amelia Peabody Emerson (aka "Peabody") and is set between 1884 and 1923, mostly in Egypt. Our heroine is a wry, progressive woman, madly in love with her husband Professor Radcliffe Emerson (aka "Emerson," or the "Father of Curses" to the native Egyptians), and ever-watchful of her precocious son Ramses. What makes this series so appealing is the interplay between characters, the witty dialogue, and the realistic way Peters paints turn-of-the-twentieth-century archaeology.

I have not read this series in order but have gone back to the beginning to pick up some of the first books. My most recent read was Lion in the Valley. This story has Peabody, Emerson, Ramses and their entourage excavating pyramids, accompanied by a companion for Ramses and a wayward young woman in Amelia's care. The latter come with their own troubles, and when you add a couple of kidnappings, a couple of murders, and the return of Amelia's arch-enemy, the "Master Criminal," the Emersons (and readers) are in for quite an adventure.