What We're Reading

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Lucy was kind enough to hand off one of our favorite regular chats to me, and I am particularly appreciative because I seem to have been reading a lot lately!

First off, our wonderful Jenn McKinlay's latest (and maybe last?) entry in her Library Lovers series, BOOKING FOR TROUBLE, When I finished it I had to seriously resist going back and rereading the whole series. I'm glad Jenn has said "never say never" on future installments, as I do love the setting and the delightful characters.

Then my daughter gave me her copy of Niall Williams' TIME OF THE CHILD, because she couldn't get past twenty pages. Most of the time we like or dislike the same books, but I have to differ on this one. I will agree that this look at Irish village life in the early 1960s is a bit slow in the beginning, but it reads like poetry, and once I got into it, I could NOT put it down. I adored this book. I sobbed my way through the ending (in a good way) then read the last few chapters again. Twice. I also listened to Williams' THIS IS HAPPINESS, his previous book, which is also set in the small Irish village of Faha. I would recommend reading Williams' books in the order in which they were written, as they feature many of the same characters. Lovely books, exquisite writing. You can see why Williams' THE HISTORY OF RAIN (now on my TBR) was longlisted for the Booker Prize.

Here's one Kayti and I did agree on: She thrust Matt Haig's THE LIFE IMPOSSIBLE into my hands with a must read directive. I liked it so much I dug out my unread copies of Haig's THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY and HOW TO STOP TIME which I really enjoyed, but THE LIFE IMPOSSIBLE was definitely my fave. We have tickets to see Haig here in Dallas when he is touring for his upcoming book, THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN, and I'm very excited about that. On my birthday, no less!

From our local bookstore, I picked up a copy of Fredrik Backman's MY FRIENDS. I did like this, but what an odd book it is. I think it would make a great book club selection, because when I finished it I was dying to discuss it with someone! I can't say more because spoilers!

Except for Jenn's book, you will have noticed there are no mysteries in my little list, but never fear. I read Rhys and Clare's new Molly Murphy, VANISHED IN THE CROWD, and I enjoyed it so much! Such wonderful historical detail, and I especially liked this one as it dealt with early women in science, as well as women's suffrage, which felt very timely.

One more, and a mystery, Andrea Penrose's latest in her Wrexford and Sloan Regency series, MURDER AT SOMERSET HOUSE. These are fun, and usually deal with early 18th century science and economics. Some of this one, which centered on the development of the London Stock Exchange, went a bit over my head, but I loved the adventures of "the Weasels," the young wards of the main characters, and the introduction of a new young person to the family. I think these books would be great YA reads.

How about it, dear REDS? What's been on your nightstand since last we checked in?

LUCY BURDETTE: I was asked to read POPPY MONTGOMERY FIGHTS BACK, a new book coming out from Mysterious Press in June. Poppy is a woman of a certain age who becomes suspicious of two deaths in a retirement community where her dear friend lives. They decide to investigate, and she enlists her computer hacker grandson to assist with developing false profiles for older women on a dating site. The book is delightful, with wonderful character development and a good mystery too. Reminds me of Richard Osmond‘s murder club characters and Spencer Quinn‘s Mrs. Plansky.

I also read an old favorite Arnaldur Indridason’s The Quiet Mother, a story about a murder in Reykjavík. I love this description from the back cover: a masterful blend of human tragedy and relentless suspense, where every discovery comes at a cost. So dark and so well written.

And finally, I was encouraged by many readers to catch up with those who have read and adored Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt. Loved, loved, loved this book! Wonderful characters from the grandmother to a lost teenage boy to a small town in Washington to the octopus himself. I raved so much that John immediately read it too, and loved it just as much.

HALLIE EPHRON: I just finished two terrific mystery novels. First, RAVEN BLACK by Ann Cleeves. She is so great at creating a sense of place the Shetland Islands), complicated victims, and interesting suspects. And of course her detective Inspector Jimmy Perez is so humane.

After that I chomped through Anthony Horowitz’s doorstop of a book, MARBLE HALL MURDERS. With his usual high wire act of metafiction (a novel within the novel, several casts of characters from present/past in the novel and the meta-novel). Not a book you’d ever fall asleep reading (it’s nearly 600 pages long). 

I’m looking forward to the dramatization (this is the third book, after MAGPIE MURDERS and MOONFLOWER MURDERS in a series) with Lesley Manville returning as editor Susan Ryeland. Again, she’s editing a novel within the novel and trying to figure out who the fictional characters (villain, victims, …) in a murder mystery and who they map to in real life.

And I’ve just dipped my toe into THE CORRESPONDENT. A break from crime fiction, it’s written in letters. Absolutely fascinating just figuring out how the author Virginia Evans pulls it off. So far it reminds me (character-wise) of OLIVE KITTERIDGE and has me queuing up OLIVE AGAIN to read next.

DEBS: Hallie, Kayti just read THE CORRESSPONDENT and loved it! She's loaned it to a friend but I am getting it next!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Are they doing the third book, Hallie? I’m so excited! I loved the two seasons of MAGPIE and MOONFLOWER.

I just finished (and blurbed) Dick Cass’s HARDER THAN A HEADSTONE, a deeply-Maine mystery starring a “I amd NOT a PI” hero. I love Dick’s spare, evocotive prose; he reminds me of Steve Hamilton.

I’m currently enjoying FAMILY DRAMA by Rebecca Fallon, a tale of “love, grief, motherhood and the different versions of ourselves we share with the world and with each other,” to quote the flap copy. It ranges from 1986 to 2012, and it’s beautifully written. PS, is anyone else freaked out by the fact the late 80s and early 90s are now historical fiction?!?

Next up, THE FOUND OBJECT SOCIETY by Michelle Maryk. I picked it up after reading the dynamite first chapter and the premise: an ultra-secret society of, yes, found objects that enable anyone holding one to experience the moment of the last owner’s death - and come back safe. 

Finally, non-fiction: PLANET MONEY, A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life. I’m a HUGE Planet Money podcast nerd, and if you are too, the book is coming out on April 7. 

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  Well, I say drop everything and read YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke. It is truly amazing, and it’s about a trad-wife influencer who has a much better life than you, just ask her, and she advocates churning her own butter and oh, I just realized I wrote a whole JRW blog about this. So you already know.  It’s fantastic. (I almost gave up after page one. But  I persevered. ANd SO happy I did!)

And I just finished THE ENIGMA CHALLENGE  by S.C. Godfrey,  which I know sounds like one thing but it isn’t that–it’s truly a contemporary  Romancing the Stone with codes and puzzles, and I adored it. (The heroine is even named Zoe Wilder, who knows the author meant it to be an updated Joan.)

And I am in the midst of two books: Anthony Horowitz’s new  A DEADLY EPISODE, his latest Horowitz and Hawthorne mystery, which is of course hilarious and meta and clever and perfect, and THE MORTONS by Justine Larbalestier and Scottt Westerfeld,  which, hold on to your hats, is the wildest most unhinged family drama thriller mystery thing you can imagine.  I dare you, look at the cover. YIKES.

RHYS BOWEN:  I love it when books I’ve enjoyed are mentioned. Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Midnight Library were both favorites of mine. I’ve had so little time for reading, what with all the doctor appointments, books I have to blurb, and my own writing. But when I do read it has to be calming. I just re-read Rosamund Pilcher’s The Shell Seekers. Nothing dramatic, just family dynamics, and now I’ve just started on Lucy Foley’s Book of Lost and Found which looks delicious. I’m also reading, and really enjoying a book that’s coming out later this year called The Pilgrimage of Primrose Honeychurch, by Laura Walker. Watch out for it, it has a really interestingly different main character.

JENN McKINLAY: I have been reading mostly for endorsements as I have no time (deadline 4/1!!!), but I have IN THE MIDNIGHT RAIN by Barbara O’Neal, which Lucy gave me when I visited her in Key West and BECOMING DUCHESS GOLDBLATT by Anonymous on audio which Pat Kennedy recommended while I visited her. Come on 4/1 so I can read again! 

DEBS: I forgot to mention my current read, THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean. This is non-fiction, about the disasterous fire in the Los Angelos central library in 1986, and it is fascinating, as well as a love letter to books and libraries everywhere.

Now, what's in your stacks, dear Reddies?

New Zealand, a Few Fun Facts and an Idea

LUCY BURDETTE: Kia Ora! As you’ve no doubt heard by now, I’m just back from a two-week trip to New Zealand. I’m certain you don’t want the full slideshow but I’ll share a few reactions from our whirlwind voyage.

1. New Zealanders are crazy in the sense of tackling physical challenges. Probably because the landscape lends itself to challenge? For example, we heard stories of men hunting deer from a helicopter with no doors. There is a road race along the length of the Milford track every year, 33 1/2 miles of mountainous terrain. It sells out in 22 seconds and has a long waiting list. We did a four hour hike at the end of the trail, which was plenty for me!

2. New Zealand is an island—the closest land point from another country about 1000 miles away. They are very protective of their land and creatures. The country has no natural mammals, other than two bats, which means no predators. That means many of the birds native to New Zealand evolved into land birds without the ability to fly. When people arrived on ships from other countries, they brought with them pests such as stoats, rats, and cats. Also, the Maori people hunted the larger land birds, often to extinction. All this means New Zealanders are very focused on conservation, sustainability, and increasing the population of native species, from birds to people.

3. New Zealand was the last major land mass to be settled. The Maori tribe arrived after 1300, and the British declared sovereignty in the 1840’s. Since the 1970’s, the Maori and other ethnic groups have pushed to take land and power back, which they consider stolen by the British. Maori is a second language for the country—our guide was pleased to tell us that former prime minister Jacinta Arden began her messages to parliament and the people in the Maori language.

Circling back to the question discussed on Monday, I did not do a lot of work on vacation. But as a long-time mystery writer, it’s hard not to think about murder and mayhem in a new setting! The people in our travel group were game to point out poisonous plants and murder methods that I might enjoy using as we toured. If I was going to write a story, I thought I might have opened it in the dark sky night reserve. After a chance to view the southern hemisphere constellations, we herded into the changing areas and given white robes before heading to a warm pool. (Keep in mind that this all happened in darkness so our eyes could acclimate.) We floated in that pool on individual hammocks listening to a guide tell stories about the stars. I could imagine most of the guests exiting the pool, but leaving one behind—quite dead. It would have been too dark to see much of anything, a detecting challenge!

But then, on our last day hike on the Routeburn track, I began to chat with one of our guides, Olivia, who turned out to be a wonderful story brainstormer. She was fascinated with the idea of setting a mystery in New Zealand. She suggested either the Lake Marion or Gertrude Saddle routes, which are very popular  with Instagram influencers. Supposing there was a couple hiking together, each of them with an active account. Supposing their tracking device was lost or malfunctioned, and one or both disappeared on the trail. A professional guide, like Olivia, might have been one of the last people to have seen them on the trail. What might she have noticed? If someone did meet an unsavory end, was it a push and a fall? 

Or perhaps a dish prepared with New Zealand’s most poisonous plant, the tutu with its delicious looking berries? 

Or the stinging nettle, the ongoanga?

Who knows if I’ll use any of this, but what fun to think about it. Honestly, it helped pass the time when I was trudging up a steep and rocky path. Fortunately, there was an incredible view at the top. I’m sure that that’s a good metaphor for writing as well. (Here's one version of trouble I forgot--the Waiotapu hot springs and bubbling mud pools...)

Do you think about murder mysteries when you travel? What's the most exotic setting you've enjoyed in a mystery?

PS, If you'd like to hear more about the itinerary we took without the murderous commentary, here's John's version...

On Family History by Christine Falcone

 LUCY BURDETTE: Today’s guest has been one of my writers group friends for years (many!) I know you’ll enjoy the fourth book in her Melanie Bass mystery series, Ruff’d Up. Take it away Chris!

CHRISTINE FALCONE: Thank you Lucy and Reds for inviting me back.

Some writers do elaborate biographies for each of their characters where they know what kind of childhood they had, where they went to college, if they went to college, who their first boyfriend or girlfriend was, and what they eat for breakfast each morning. I am not one of those writers. This came into play in book four in the series when one of my long- time writing group partners (thank you Lucy!) asked “What about Melanie’s family? We don’t really know anything about them.” She was right. I had briefly mentioned a cousin in book two, but nothing about her nuclear family. I decided Melanie’s parents were no longer alive, but she has an older sister, Meridith who became a large part of Melanie’s story in RUFF’D UP.

Meridith is a bit overbearing at times, and the dynamic between her and Melanie shed light on parts of Melanie’s character I had never explored before. Those of us who have siblings know that they know exactly how to press our buttons (and we, theirs!) Your sibs know all about your childhood, your less perfect moments as well as your shining achievements. And they don’t let you forget them, especially the ones you would most like to. Meridith is the older sister; I was the eldest of eight, so I used that experience in developing some of the hurt and long-buried resentments both Melanie and Meridith felt toward each other. 

Another thing I thought about as I wrote the interactions between the sisters was how differently they remembered aspects of their childhood. I know in talking to my own siblings I sometimes wonder if we are talking about the same events and occurrences.

I found I really enjoyed writing the scenes between the sisters, and in spite of being the eldest in growing up I had feelings both sisters felt.

If you have siblings, do you find that you have different memories of childhood occurrences than they do? Do you agree with those birth order profiles that you find in magazines and online?

RUFF’D Up is the fourth book in Christine Falcone’s Melanie Bass Mystery series. Her short stories have appeared in the past in Imagine, Lancom Review, and Deadfall: Crime stories by New England Writers. Prior to her retirement she worked for nearly forty years as an RN in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She lives on the Connecticut Shoreline with her family and her dog Toby who is not nearly as well behaved as Bruno, the beloved canine in her mystery series.

About the book: As she looks forward to the return of warm summer days in her native Connecticut, visiting nurse Melanie Bass has more than difficult patients to contend with. She is haunted by guilt over a home invasion she feels she could have prevented, struggles to reconnect with her difficult -and until now distant- older sister, and faces complications in her personal life when an attractive new veterinarian seems to have designs on Melanie’s boyfriend. Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, there is another brutal attack – this time on someone close to her. As the stakes mount Melanie struggles to deal with her complicated personal life and find and stop those threatening the ones she loves before she is the next victim.