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The Jevlir Caravansary

Tag: Mystery Books

  • Book: Sherlock Holmes and the Kings’ Governess

    Well, I’m a bit behind the times on this series, but I must admit that I have very little liking for continuations of various series by new authors. In this case, however, Barrie Roberts does a very good job of catching Arthur Conan Doyle’s style, and thus, of course, Dr. Watson’s.

    We’re taken to London during Queen Victoria’s jubilee, and presented with a character who is almost instantly identifiable as the main character in The King and I. Sherlock Holmes finds himself more in the role of preventing a crime than in solving one, but he has plenty of mysteries on which to demonstrate his skills. I felt that a little less time was spent on the investigating a bit more on the action than I would expect if Doyle were the author, but overall the feel is pretty authentic.

    The story itself is fun, but not “I can’t put this down” fascinating. I’ll rate this as a three, but you should regard it as a four if you really like the Holmes style mysteries. It’s just that I’m locked into my ratings, and a three shows where books in this series and by this author will be in my list.

  • Book: Imitation in Death

    What more can I say about J. D. Robb and the various books about Eve Dallas? I just enjoy the character interaction. They’re not too over the top in forcing me to think, thus being good reading after I’ve read all the serious stuff for the day, and did I mention the characters? They’re just fun.

    In Imitation in Death, J. D. Robb/Nora Roberts brings us the summer of 2059 and a serial killer who imitates serial killers, but not the same one twice. This one will lead us through a walk through history (and the series fictional history) and a look at some of the things that just might make a murderer.

    In the meantime, Peabody is distracted by preparation for her detective exam, and also the terror of actually taking it. How will the pair work their way out of this one? At least Roarke and Eve aren’t fighting.

  • Book: Innocent in Death

    OK, it’s another book. I’ll get around to writing another story or something soon. That’s what you were waiting for, right? No? I’m so disappointed!

    Anyhow, my wife brought home another J. D. Robb, and I had to read it. It’s pretty good. In this most recent book, Eve gets to feel her dislike of schools as she deals with murders that occur in a school. At the same time she’s dealing with jealousy over Roarke, but is it justified? Everything seems so confusing until she follows an unlikely track and fights her way through to the conclusion. Oh, and is it possible she’s making a truce with Summerset?

    This continues the interesting future world, and all the very interesting characters with which Roberts/Robb chooses to populate it. It’s honestly not my usual fair, because I find near future science fiction a bit troubling. Even Star Trek has been made somewhat obsolete by the advancement of actual science, but that’s part of the game. Near future seems to get me comparing the technology then and now more carefully, so even though it should be easier to be accurate, I’m more likely to quibble. Of course, I’m just as likely to be wrong.

    In any case, I find the cultural background of this series believable and enjoyable. I’ll continuing borrowing the copies my wife gets from the library on a pretty regular basis.

  • Book: The Dragon Scroll

    I like historical mysteries, so I was fairly interested in trying this one, a mystery of ancient Japan, even though I have no acquaintance with Japanese history. In general, however, the book was a disappointment. I found the writing not too terribly engaging. It was simply a series of episodes set end to end. I solved the mystery too early, well before the lead character and got to wondering when he would catch on. To be fair (to a fictional character?) he did not have as much information as the reader of the story.

    Since I don’t know the culture and period of history involved, I can’t comment on how realistic the book is. I was disturbed by the number of exceptions to cultural norms that were allowed. The reader is repeatedly informed that some action of the main character is a terrible insult, and yet there never seem to be any consequences to such insults. He can do things that just aren’t done, and yet everything goes on as though that had not happened.

    Having criticized all of that, if one settles in to read this as a historical novel, and not a mystery or a novel of suspense, one can enjoy portions of the story. Most of the suspense failed to keep me in suspense.

    As it stands, I’m rating this book a 2 or 2.5. It’s possible I’ll read another in this series, but not all that likely.

  • Book: Born in Death

    J. D. Robb continues the saga of Eve Dallas and Roark with this delightful action story with some mystery. I found myself guessing ahead correctly a bit too often, but the story moves well in any case.

    Eve finds herself handling two complex cases simultaneously. With the department insinuating that she might not be trustworthy because she’s dealing with substantial amounts of financial data that might get to Roark, who might use it for his own benefit, she and Roark decide to tackle the issue head on and challenge the department, the criminals, and some very powerful people.

    All of this is entwined with the preparations for Mavis to give birth with Roark and Eve serving as coaches. At some times, one wonders which will be more challenging, the criminal element or the baby element. Eve survives the attacks of criminals, but a baby shower seems more challenging.

    I confess that J. D. Robb grows on me as time goes on. She’s one of the rare contemporary authors that I truly enjoy.

  • Book Series: Lord Meren Mysteries

    I recently re-read Eater of Souls by Lynda S. Robinson, and as a result remembered that I’d intended to read more. So I immediately found what I could at the local library and I’ve thus far gone backwards to read Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing. I’ve got a couple more sitting on my “to be read” shelf.

    I’m not sure why I didn’t follow up on this series at the time I first read one of the books. Normally when I like a series I head straight to the library and/or bookstore, fill out the list and work right through it. It can’t have been because I didn’t like the books–I love them. With some knowledge of Egypt (I have a year of Middle Egyptian reading from graduate school), I’m able to really appreciate the feel Robinson gives to characters and culture. As she notes, many times she has to settle controversies, and I would assume also fill in gaps in our knowledge, but she has done so consistently and in such a way that the culture seems very realistic.

    I especially like the way that Lord Meren searches for signs of magic and includes killing by magic as one of the possibilities for means in murder cases, as of course an ancient Egyptian would have. But many modern authors would have some difficulties keeping the viewpoint authentic. Robinson does so successfully in my view.

    Family relationships, religion, culture, politics, and ancient warfare all combine to create the background for this exceptional series. The key characters of Lord Meren, his adopted son Kysen, and the remainder of his family would be interesting wherever they were placed, and the mysteries would be interesting no matter what the background.

    This is truly an exceptionally enjoyable series of historical mysteries. I strongly recommend it.

  • Book: The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood

    Somehow I didn’t catch this one when it came out in 2005, so I just got to reading it last week. I think I’ve already made it pretty clear that I like Andrew Greeley’s writing, though in most of his books one of the key reasons is theological. I think he produces the best representation of the gospel in fiction form of anyone I have ever read. I add that I find his stories entertaining as well, and I should note that he’s got to write the best sex scenes written by a celibate.

    The Bishop Blackie mysteries, on the other hand, are purest entertainment. In the background is Catholic church life, and the gospel is there, but it is not as much front and center. What we have is a set of excellent mysteries where the key detective happens to be a bishop.

    In this one, there is some serious mayhem in Cardinal Sean Cronin’s old neighborhood, involving a parish priest who is his classmate. With his typical “see to it, Blackie” he places the matter in Bishop John Blackwood Ryan’s capable hands, while he heads off to Rome to pick up a few markers. All the normal characters are there, the virtuous cops and the corrupt cops, the boorish and stupid feds, the stupid and somewhat venal as well as the dedicated priests.

    Since I tend to lose interest in long running series unless the authors are very good, the best recommendation I can give this book is that I enjoyed it as much as the first Father Blackie book that I read, and I’ll look for the next one with equal anticipation. (Honor Harrington, for example, has run long enough to lose my interest, but David Weber is just too good an author, but even though I adore Alan Dean Foster’s work, the latest Pip and Flynx novels seem to be getting weaker.)

    Look at the Energion.com page for The Bishop in the Old Neighborhood.

  • Book: Death in the Middle Watch

    This was my first book in this series, subtitled A Carolus Deene Mystery. Leo Bruce presents an interesting mystery, though I think some elements of the plot and some of the clues are a bit overdone. I also think that the probabilities are pushed a bit on what a cruise ship can get by with.

    The characterizations are quite clear, although the book is largely populated by stereotypes, and a good portion of the actions are a bit predictable.

    The story is set on a cruise ship. There was a passenger death the year before and the company has been getting threatening letters. An extraordinarily stupid company president and a rather poor excuse for a ship’s captain make the trip more interesting. Mr. Deene’s apparent love of drama makes the finale a bit more exciting than it realistically would have to be.

    I rate this a 2 out of 5. I finished reading it, but I’m not in urgent search of another volume.

  • Book: Murder in the Chateau

    I really enjoy books about the second world war, whether they are histories or fiction set in the war. Elliott Roosevelt writes a series of books about his mother, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Murder in the Chateau is a good example of the style of this series. In this case, Eleanor Roosevelt finds herself in Vichy France, and as one might expect, there is a murder that she needs to solve.

    I think this particular volume takes more liberties with the historical possibilities than usual. You will need to suspend disbelief to a pretty serious extend in regard to the capabilities of the Gestapo, the SS, and even the Vichy Milice. But the story is interesting, and the characters are engaging as usual.

    I rate this at 3 of 5.

  • Book: Out on a Limb

    With an endorsement on the front cover from Elizabeth Peters, and another on the back that said, “She’s hilarious . . .” I had hopes for this mystery novel. After reading it, however, I have to rate it a 3 out of 5. I do find some of the characters engaging and interesting, but the story is scattered, the mystery is a bit weak, and the jokes fall short of hilarious for me.

    The strong female lead is diminished, in my view, by her weak and apparently inept boyfriend, a police Lieutenant who can’t seem to see fairly obvious things. At one point when the lead (Claire Malloy) is making an excuse for not telling him something that she really should have as a good citizen, she notes that the police have much greater resources than she has, and that a little simple police work would have produced the result. She’s right, it probably would have, thus indicating that the police work wasn’t done. It seems that Malloy wins not through intelligence or hard work, but rather through a combination of fortuitous information and police laziness or ineptness.

    Interesting characters might get me to pick up another book in this series. The story in this one will stand against that. We’ll have to see what happens.