Miss Zukas and the Library Murders

Author:  Jo Dereske
Genre:  Mystery

Two Stars

 

Meet Miss Zukas . . . the very proper, exceedingly conscientious, and relentlessly curious local librarian of tiny Bellehaven, Washington--and one heck of an amateur sleuth! The Bellehaven police are baffled when a dead body turns up right in the middle of the library's fiction stacks. But Miss Helma Zukas--who never fails to make note of the slightest deviation from the norm of everyday life--is not willing to let this rather nasty disruption stand. Her precious literary sanctuary has been violated, and if the local law cannot get to the bottom of this case, Miss Zukas certainly intends to--with the help of her not-so-proper best friend, Ruth, a six-foot-tall bohemian artist with a nose for gossip and a penchant for getting into trouble. But their research project is bringing them a little too close to a killer . . . who'd like nothing better than to write Helma and Ruth out of the story completely!  (From the book).

 

********

 

The following review MIGHT contain spoilers, but everything I am writing you will learn almost immediately in this book.  I know I wasn't going to write spoilers, but if I don't do so in this case, you won't be able to understand why I didn't care for the book.  If you wish to read it at some later date, please do not read on.  That being said: 

 

The book is okay as far as the mystery, which is why I gave it 2 stars. However, the main character (Miss Zukas) is completely unlikeable. She is a librarian, only 36, but a prissy woman who acts like she is 90. She doesn't like anything about anyone; she makes disparaging remarks about her co-workers, and she can't understand why she is friends with Ruth (supposedly her best friend). These two are SO different, you can't imagine them as even wanting to spend time with each other. The friend is a slob, a drunk, and (shall I say it) a slut.

 

The reason it doesn't make sense is because Miss Zukas is SO perfect - her apartment is perfect (after 14 years of living there?????) no gossip, smiling, anything out of place, etc; that someone like Ruth should horrify her. She doesn't even have any conversations with anyone that aren't somehow related back to the library. Everything she thinks reminds her she 'needs to look it up at the library'. She even formulates a thought that she didn't move into a certain apartment building because 'they allowed families with children." So she even dislikes children, and pets, since she makes a point of stating she lives in a 'pet-free' building, and thinks of possibly 'turning in a neighbor" because they MIGHT have a pet.

She "looks down" on everyone and everything, including her own mother, whom she barely tolerates. She also has no social life, no other friends (understandable), no answering machine because she "doesn't want to be disturbed during dinner", so if the phone rings, she ignores it. It appears she is so self-centered and selfish, that she is the only one that matters in life. (I spend my life trying to avoid these types of people).

It appears that Miss Zukas is an opinionated, bigoted egotist, and has no endearing or redeeming qualities, and I will probably not read any others in the series.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Zukas-Library-Murders-mysteries-ebook/dp/B002YD93AY/

John Wayne: The Life and Legend

Author: Scott Eyman
Genre: Biography

⭐⭐⭐⭐

John Wayne was one of Hollywood’s most famous and most successful actors, but he was more than that. He became a symbol of America itself. He epitomized the Western film, which for many people epitomized America. He identified with conservative political causes from the early 1930s to his death in 1979, making him a hero to one generation of Americans and a villain to another. But unlike fellow actor Ronald Reagan, Wayne had no interest in politics as a career. Like many stars, he altered his life story, claiming to have become an actor almost by accident when in fact he had studied drama and aspired to act for most of his youth. He married three times, all to Latina women, and conducted a lengthy affair with Marlene Dietrich, as unlikely a romantic partner as one could imagine for the Duke.  Wayne projected dignity, integrity, and strength in all his films, even when his characters were flawed, and whatever character he played was always prepared to confront injustice in his own way. More than thirty years after his death, he remains the standard by which male stars are judged and an actor whose morally unambiguous films continue to attract sizeable audiences.

Scott Eyman interviewed Wayne, as well as many family members, and he has drawn on previously unpublished reminiscences from friends and associates of the Duke in this biography, as well as documents from his production company that shed light on Wayne’s business affairs. He traces Wayne from his childhood to his stardom in Stagecoach and dozens of films after that. Eyman perceptively analyzes Wayne’s relationship with John Ford, the director with whom he’s most associated and who made some of Wayne’s greatest films, among them She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, The Quiet Man, and The Searchers. His evaluation of Wayne himself is shrewd: a skilled actor who was reluctant to step outside his comfort zone. Wayne was self-aware; he once said, “I’ve played the kind of man I’d like to have been.” It’s that man and the real John Wayne who are brilliantly profiled in Scott Eyman’s insightful biography of a true American legend.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I have read other books about John Wayne, and I have to say that this is yet the most detailed one.  You not only learn about Wayne himself, but many other friends and acquaintances.  The book relates how young Marion Morrison grew up, his relationships with both parents and how it shaped his life.  His youth was difficult and, in my opinion, somewhat sad, yet he managed to grow with honesty, generosity and grace.

John Wayne was a complex human being, not the person seen on the screen, yet everything he did was for his family; and every movie he made was for his fans.  We are shown the triumphs in his life and the regrets; the happiness and the sorrow he went through, and the deep, abiding love for his family and his friends.

We are given not only details regarding the movies Mr.Wayne made, but what was going on in his personal life at the same time, and those of the people he worked with.  I learned many things I never knew - and I read a lot of biographies.  Some were understandable; others, not so much (in the fact that while his actions were generous, I felt he was ill-used).  There are also quite a few anecdotes regarding several actors, including Glenn Ford, Robert Mitchum and Ward Bond that I found fascinating at the least. 

In all, this book is well worth reading, not only for the fans of westerns and John Wayne, but for anyone who wants to know how he became an American icon, and still remains so today.

http://www.amazon.com/John-Wayne-Legend-Scott-Eyman-ebook/dp/B00DPM909C/

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3352106280

More on Scott Eyman's Books:  https://www.amazon.com/s?k=scott+eyman&i=stripbooks&ref

A Second Helping of Murder

Author: Christine Wenger
Genre: Mystery

Five Stars

 

Trixie Matkowski is warming up to running her family's diner in the small town of Sandy Harbor in upstate New York.  But the only thing more demanding than serving piping-hot comfort food twenty-four hours a day is getting to the bottom of a double homicide...

 

Trixie fondly remembers summers as a child spent visiting the shores of Lake Ontario.  Not much has changed-there are still vinyl booths at the Silver Bullet Diner, families eating home-cooked comfort food, and days of swimming in the lake.

 

But before Trixie can say "Order's up," someone's summer is abruptly cut short.  One of the cottage residents is found dead, and Trixie suspects the crime might be linked to an unsolved disappearance in the picturesque town's past.

 

As Trixie works with Deputy Ty Brisco to solve both mysteries, their shocking discoveries will shake up the small town.  And when word gets out that she's on the case, Trixie's in trouble-after all, the murderer won't spare her life just because she makes a killer corned beef sandwich...(from back cover).

 

********

 

I wasn't sure what to expect, since I've never read this author, but she reeled me in immediately.  I liked the fact that I was drawn into Trixie's life from the get-go, she started talking about her life as if I were there to share it with her, and that was indeed a nice beginning.  Also, I really liked the plot: the remains of a former summer renter is found in a cave, and since Trixie knew the girl and liked her, she wants to find the killer.  Especially since shortly after, another murder takes place in one of Trixie's cottages, and people start cancelling their reservations.  Convinced the two murders are connected somehow, nearly everyone who knew the girl twenty-five years ago becomes a suspect, at least in Trixie's mind.

 

Trixie bought the diner, cabins, and her house (which she refers to as 'the Big House') from her aunt Stella, who retired after her husband died.  Since she spent much of her girlhood there, working and playing, she has always had a fondness for it; and since she needed something in her life after her messy divorce, the timing seemed ideal.  However, the murders have placed her front and center with a new goal in her life - find the killer, or killers.

 

Although she is repeatedly cautioned by Ty to stay out of the case, she lets him know that she has no intentions to do so, justifying it by the fact that she's the one losing money by not renting her lake cabins, not him.  The interaction between these two is believeable, and fun to witness.

 

What bothered me, however, was the fact that all the 'good guys,' her staff included, have great personalities - always smiling, happy, go-getters, fun-loving, etc.; and the 'bad guys,' (the suspects), are all people who are nasty, mean, unhappy, etc.  Even the sunniest of people still have off days, but none of her friends ever do.  They're willing to move heaven and earth to help her.  The other thing was her repetitive use of the word "fabulous."  The author must have used it at least fifty times.  Everything was fabulous - even Deputy Ty, who is from Texas, used it once.  No self-respecting cowboy (and I know, since my Dad's a Texan and half my family still lives there) would use the word 'fabulous'.  At least I never heard it from my Dad, anyway.

 

Apart from those two things, this book was a great read.  I loved the fact that the original murder was so old and had to be revisited (digging into the past in a mystery is always interesting), and even though the reasons the murders were committed weren't original, it was understandable and woven into a tightly knitted plot that made this a pleasure.  I highly recommend this book and will certainly be reading the first in the series - Do or Diner.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Second-Helping-Murder-Comfort-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00F3KX112/

A Killing Notion

Author:  Melissa Bourbon
Genre:  Mystery

Four Stars

 

Harlow Jane Cassidy is swamped with homecoming couture requests.  If only she didn't have to help solve a murder, she might gets the gowns off the dress forms...

 

Harlow is doing everything she can to expand her dressmaking business, Buttons & Bows-without letting clients know about her secret charm.  When she has a chance to create homecoming dresses with a local charity and handmade mums for several high school girls-including Gracie, whose father, Will, has mended Harlow's heart-she is ready to use her magical talents for a great cause.

 

But when Gracie's date for the dance is accused of murder, Harlow knows things won't be back on course until she helps Gracie clear the football player's name.  If Harlow can't patch up this mess before the big game, her business and her love life might be permanently benched.  (From the back cover).

 

********

 

Harlow Jane Cassidy is a descendant of Butch Cassidy - but, as the author should know, Butch Cassidy was an alias, and his real name was Robert Leroy Parker, so any descendants he would have would also have the surname of Parker.  This would be tantamount to the Sundance Kid's decendants having their last name as "Kid".  (Just because he decided to call himself Cassidy doesn't mean it was his legal name, nor would it be the legal name of any descendants).  That being said, and the only thing I disliked about the book, on the whole it was an enjoyable read.

 

Harlow sews for a living.  She has a "charm," as all the Cassidy women do (although each has a different one); and her charm is the fact that when she makes a garment for someone, their deepest desire seems to come true.  Therefore, when someone wears one of her creations, whatever they want to occur surely will, whether it be good or bad.  She is involved in making dresses for some of the girls attending the homecoming dance in conjunction with Helping Hands, a group that gives girls who would have no chance to attend otherwise their dresses and accessories. 

 

I should also mention the fact that Harlow has a resident ghost, Loretta Mae, who is her 'meemaw;' since she does figure quite prominently in the story, helping Harlow with her designs and also trying her ghostly best to give her advice, even if it does manifest in mainly swirling air.

 

Harlow's boyfriend is Will Flores.  His daughter Gracie is a descendant also, and is learning to sew under Harlow's tutelage.  Gracie is attempting to make her own dress, and proceeding quite well.  However, when Gracie's boyfriend, Shane, is accused of killing his own father, both Gracie and Shane's mother, Reba, beg Harlow to help find the real killer.  Even though Will wants her to stay out of the investigation, she knows she must help regardless.

 

This is where it gets sticky.  Harlow's stepfather is the sheriff, and her stepbrother Gavin is deputy.  She has a love-hate relationship with Gavin, tries to avoid him at all costs, and knows he will be livid if he finds out she is investigating.  However, this doesn't stop her in the least.  Her investigation into the murder not only uncovers deep secrets held by more than one person, it takes her to a town less than an hour away where she finds even more secrets, and more suspects.  Soon her suspect list is beginning to resemble a Christmas naughty list.

 

There are plenty of red herrings, but also plenty of clues that eventually tie into one another and you will have that 'aha' moment, likely around the same time as Harlow.  I highly recommend this and suggest you begin with the first book in the series, Pleating for Mercy.

 

 http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Notion-Magical-Dressmaking-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00F9EZBXS/



Killer Librarian

Author:  Mary Lou Kirwin
Genre:  Mystery

Five Stars

 

Champion of the mystery section at a small-town Minnesota library, Karen Nash is about to embark on a dream trip to London-a literary tour inspired by every murderous intrigue, wily suspect, and ingenious crime found in the pages of the British mysteries that she devours.  But she's clueless why the love of her mid-life, Dave, would dump her hours before takeoff-until she spies him at the airport with a young honey on his arm!  She decides the best revenge (for now) is to get on that plane anyway...and entertain schemes for Dave's untimely demise while crossing the pond.

 

After touching ground in the hallowed homeland of Christie, Sayers, and Peters, she checks into a cozy B & B run by charming bibliophile Caldwell Perkins.  Soon she's spilling tears in her pint at the corner pub, sharing her heartbreak saga with a stranger.  That night, a B & B guest drops out of circulation-permanently.  And when Dave and his cutie turn up in London, Karen realizes they are an assassin's target.  With the meticulous attention to detail that makes her a killer librarian, Karen sleuths her way through her own real-life mystery-in which library science meets the art of murder.  (From the back cover).

 

********

 

When I began reading this book, I thought it would be pretty much like many other "cozy" mysteries: dead body, amateur sleuth, sleuth becomes the hunted.  Well, it's yes and no.  And I'm not going to tell you which part is which.  But I found the book quite different and completely entrancing, in the fact that I read the entire thing in one night (I usually take a break and read in two days, not one).  But this book was different.  As the back cover reads, Karen is a librarian, her boyfriend breaks up with her, and she decides to take her trip anyway since she has the two weeks' vacation already planned.  But when she arrives in London, things really become interesting. 

 

The owner of the B & B is, as stated, a bibliophile like herself.  So much so, that he has books spilling out from every corner and crevice of the place (a man after my own heart!)  While the other guests - Americans Betty and Barb (referred to as the Tweedles), Howard and Annette Worth, and Frenchwoman Francine - aren't even interested in books, Karen is in heaven.  When she discovers the dead body of one of the guests, she's shaken - and realizes she is most likely staying in a home with a killer, which obviously unnerves her, but stoic Minnesotan that she is, decides to enjoy her vacation while she can. 

 

I really won't say more than that, because to do so would be giving away much of the plot.  And a delightful plot it was.  I felt as if I were with Karen, meandering through the streets of London, discovering things she was discovering; and finding out things about herself that she never knew existed.  Her sheer pleasure at being in London shines through the pages, and honestly, for myself I found that watching Karen find herself was more interesting than watching her find a killer.

 

Highly enjoyable, highly recommended and I can't wait to read more from this author.

http://www.amazon.com/Killer-Librarian-Mary-Lou-Kirwin-ebook/dp/B007EDYLD8/

 

A Biscuit, A Casket

Author:  Liz Mugavero
Genre:  Mystery

Five Stars

 

The small town of Frog Ledge, Connecticut, has wholeheartedly embraced Kristan "Stan" Connor's new business - preparing quality organic treats for dogs and cats. On a healthy diet, the animals may live longer...but one local farmer won't be so lucky. As Halloween approaches, Stan is asked to cater a doggie costume party hosted by the Happy Cow Dairy Farm. Part of a local co-op, Happy Cow specializes in organic dairy products, and farmers Hal and Emmalee Hoffman have started opening up the farm for parties, offering a "haunted" corn maze as an added attraction. When Hal's lifeless body is found in the maze, the police at first suspect his wife, but Stan soon learns the dairy farmer had plenty of enemies - from bitter family members to shady business associates. If Stan can't extract a kernel of truth from the labyrinth of lies, she may be the next one to buy the farm...(from the back cover)

 

********

 

I really didn't know what to expect, but I must say, this book was a delight to read.  The characters are not one-sided; you get to know them, and even though this is the second book in the series, the author explains enough (but not too much) about them that you understand who they are, and better yet, what they are feeling.  You don't go through the book trying to figure out why they would think the way they do.  I was caught up in the mystery almost immediately (and that is when it occurs, so there is no spoiler or surprise).  It is while we are immersed in the story that you begin to find out the type of person Hal was; and even so the people of the town.  You are left to solve the mystery along with Kristan (Stan), not in front of her or behind her, and that is a good thing.

 

The book takes place at Halloween (note, people!  This is a great book to re-read when it rolls around), and, as the blurb states, the Hoffmans have opened a corn maze as a way to bring in extra money for the farm.  The maze is closed as quickly as it is opened, and everyone in the co-op is more than willing to help, but that leads to more suspects.  Stan has determined to stay out of the investigation, but when she is begged to help by a friend of the family, she just can't say no.  Add to that you have a police officer, Jessie Pasquale, who really doesn't like her; the officer's brother, Jake, whom Stan really likes but doesn't want to say anything, also wants her to stay away, and Breanna, the youngest sibling and Stan's friend who asked her to investigate, and you have a tangled situation indeed. 

 

I would suggest you don't cheat and look at the end of the book to find the murderer (and I know some people do), because you will find, and you can trust me on this, that the journey to the end is well worth the wait.  Highly recommended, and I would also read the first in the series, Kneading to Die. 

 

I received a copy of this from the publisher but it in no way affected my review.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Biscuit-Casket-Pawsitively-Organic-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00FH1IE00

 



Sticky Situations

How would you handle a situation that can only be referred to as 'sticky?'  By that I mean, someone who wants to do a good turn for someone else, but it winds up leaving you in the muck.  Here's what I'm talking about:

Often I receive requests to read books by others, and generally, they're really pretty good.  But now and again, you're going to see a self-published author that JUST CAN'T WRITE.  I regularly haunt the bookstores (as I'm sure many of you do), and I have a friend who works at one of them.  Recently a local author came into her shop and wanted to know if she could sell copies of his book, which he had priced at $5 each.  It sounds like a reasonable price, in the beginning.  The books weren't really books, but only novellas; stopping at around 80 or 90 pages each. 

Here's where the problem begins: she told him I have a blog, and she'd ask if I would read the books and review them for him.  Since I've done this many times before, it didn't seem like a problem.  So I took them both home, and the same night I called and let him know I had them and would get to them in a couple of weeks because I had other books I had to finish first.  A couple of days later he called and asked if I had a chance to read any of them, and I told him no, I hadn't been able to get to them yet.

And then I read them.  And wished I hadn't.  One was a police procedural that had way too many errors, beginning on the first few pages.  Example:  A body is found fully clothed, but the attending detective tells everyone to "round up all the sex offenders."  Why?  If the body was fully clothed, and you hadn't even brought it to the morgue to check for sexual activity, why would you haul in all the sexual offenders?...and it went downhill after that...with error after error after error, and just plain bad writing.

So now I'm in the position of having to notify this person and tell him he needs to rewrite most of the book because it's just plain awful; and having to ask my friend if she read the book before she passed it on to me (guaranteed she didn't).  Don't get me wrong; if I read a book and it's terrible, I have no problem putting that on my blog.  You can't change bad writing, bad plot, or bad ideas no matter how hard you try.  I just hate the idea of dashing someone's aspirations, especially since it was self-published and he paid to publish it.  I'm going to put it as nicely as I can, and hope for the best, but I don't know how nicely you can say, 'you can't write.'

I'd be interested to hear how others have handled this situation, if you've ever had it happen.  If not, I'd still like to hear from you.