Red, Green, or Murder by Steven F. Havill

A couple days ago, I mentioned that the final issue of Mystery News had been published. In the year I reviewed for them, I discovered a few authors, including Steven F. Havill. His books have become some of my favorite. My last review for Mystery News is reprinted here, with permission. It's a review of the most recent book in the Posadas County series, Red, Green, or Murder.

Red, Green, or Murder
by Steven Havill
Poisoned Pen Press
$24.95
ISBN 978-1-59058-665-5
Hardcover
November
Police Procedural

Former Posadas County, New Mexico, Sheriff Bill Gastner retired, and is now working as a Livestock Inspector for the state. It’s a job that fits him. He can still visit friends, and he has a chance to travel the rural county. His knowledge of old friends, and the county, will stand him in good stead in this mystery.

Gastner’s official visit to Herb Torrance’s ranch sends him hurtling toward an ambulance, carrying the rancher’s son, after the young man’s knee was crushed in an accident. That one accident allowed for the opportunity for two other tragedies.

When Gastner was running late, due to the accident, he cancelled lunch with an old friend, George Payton. It wasn’t more than a couple hours before Bill received a phone call saying his protégée, Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, wanted to see him at Payton’s house. Payton’s son-in-law found him dead, and, as much as Gastner, wanted to think the old man’s time was just up, Estelle thinks there is something suspicious about the death.

If one incident wasn’t bad enough, Gastner received another phone call, saying Torrance’s cattle were in the road, herded by a dog. While the rancher was at the hospital with his son, his ranchhand disappeared, along with his truck, leaving the cattle and dog behind. Gastner, an old sheriff who knows people, doesn’t believe the young man would have left his dog behind, and he travels those familiar county roads, looking for evidence.

Red, Green, or Murder is the sixteenth book in Havill’s Posadas County series. Havill does so many things well in his novels. His descriptions of the border county are vivid, showing the dry, empty land – “the broad sweep of the dry short bunch-grass prairie, rugged mesas with rims crumpling, arroyos so deep you could effortlessly hide a herd of cattle or a tractor trailer.” Havill understands the issues and politics of a border county, and those issues are vital to the storylines. The characters in this series, particularly Bill Gastner and Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, come alive, as police officers, and, as people. They are involved with the community, and their knowledge of the people assists in their cases. These are solid police procedurals, involving multiple investigations at the same time. Best of all, Havill’s Posados County mysteries, including this one, are riveting, well-developed stories.

Rating: 5

Courtesy Mystery News, Vol. 27/Issue 5, Oct/Nov 2009.


FTC Full Disclosure: I received Red, Green, or Murder from Mystery News so that I could review it for publication.

Winners and a Crime in the Big City Contest

Congratulations to the winners of the last contest. The Fitzgerald Ruse by Mark de Castrique will go to Tina B. from So Thomaston, ME. Sarah E. of Westminster, CA will receive Floodgates by Mary Anna Evans. The books will go out in the mail tomorrow.

Washington, D.C. or New York City? Which is your preference as a city for crime? Ken Bruen's Once Were Cops brings Michael O'Shea, a member of Ireland's police force, the Guards, to New York City in an exchange program. But, Shea's dream of becoming part of the NYPD becomes the city's nightmare, when he's paired with an unstable cop. Two cops with dark secrets threaten the safety of New York, in Bruen's hard-boiled novel.



Jane Stanton Hitchcock takes readers behind the scenes of Washington's social and political life (one and the same) in Mortal Friends. Reven Lynch's chic Georgetown neighborhood isn't accustomed to brutal slayings, but the "Beltway Basher" has been too close for comfort. Now, a detective wants her to feed him inside information about a murderer he thinks is a society bigshot. It's Washington society at its worst.

So, do you want New York City or D.C.? You can enter to win both, but I need separate entries for each. If you'd like to win one, email me at Email me!. If that link doesn't work for you, the email address is: lholstine@yahoo.com. Your subject line should read either Win "Once Were Cops" or Win "Mortal Friends." Your message should include your mailing address. Entrants only in the U.S., please.

The contest will end Thanksgiving evening, Thursday, Nov. 26 at 6 p.m. MT. Jim will draw the winners at that time. The winners will be notified, and the books will go out in the mail on Friday. Good luck!

Winter of Secrets by Vicki Delany

I had two reviews printed in the final issue of Mystery News. Once they appear in print, I'm allowed to reprint them here. Here's my review of Winter of Secrets by Vicki Delany, as it appeared in Mystery News.


Winter of Secrets
by Vicki Delany
Poisoned Pen Press
$24.95
ISBN 978-1-59058-676-1
Hardcover
November
Police Procedural

Trafalgar, British Columbia is settling in for the snow storm of the decade on Christmas Eve, and the police are prepared for the holiday and snow related problems. Constables Molly Smith and Dave Evans are teamed up for a twelve hour shift, expecting their share of car accidents and drunken fights. The tragedy of the night is an out-of-control SUV that took a hill too fast, ending up in the river. Despite all the efforts of police and fire, no one could save the two young men. So, the police moved on. When Smith and Evans ran into sixteen-year-old Lorraine LeBlanc, the daughter of two drunks arrested earlier, Molly wished she could help her, but Lorraine insisted she was off to her boyfriend’s for Christmas Eve.

Imagine Molly’s surprise when she found Lorraine at a local B&B, when she arrived to inform the sister of one of the accident victims of his death. Wendy Wyatt-Yarmouth and her brother, Jason, were part of a group of college students who flew in for a couple weeks of skiing. And, Lorraine was there to celebrate a “real” Christmas, thinking she had found true love with Jason. Nothing good could come of wealthy young outsiders with too much money and the local young people, with little or nothing.

Christmas was over by the time Sergeant John Winters returned to the office, but a call from the pathologist’s office would involve him in the Christmas Eve accident. When he learned one of the young men in the SUV had been dead for at least twenty-four hours before going in the river, he called on Smith to work with him on the investigation.

Delany never forgets that Molly is new to police work. She makes the mistakes of a young cop, including one in front of her mother. Through Molly, Delany shows how difficult it is to grow up, particularly in a front of people who know you.

And, the people of Trafalgar add interest and charm to these mysteries. Molly and Winters return, along with the rest of the police force, and a Mountie who shows interest in Molly. There are the town drunks, their daughter, Lorraine, and her brother. Molly’s former best friend reappears, along with the abusive boyfriend who almost killed her. Even those readers meeting Molly’s mother for the first time will be intrigued. Lucky is a true character, an idealist, ex-hippie, who thinks nothing of interfering in police investigations, even Molly’s. Delany creates small town characters as well as anyone writing police procedurals now.

Vicki Delany vividly portrays Trafalgar in the three mysteries in this series. It’s described as an “opinionated, left leaning, artistic, independently-inclined town nestled in the mountains and forests deep inside British Columbia. She brings this town to life, and makes it a familiar, small town, even if a little eccentric. Those readers looking for charming settings won’t go wrong.

Delany never forgets this is a small town police force with more than one case. In Winter of Secrets, the police work everything from car accidents to bar fights and shoplifting. And, of course, there’s the investigation of an accident that could be more than a car accident. But, it isn’t easy for local cops to probe into the lives of influential, well-off people, particularly the lives of the Wyatt-Yarmouth family and friends.

Winter of Secrets is another outstanding police procedural from Vicki Delany. Anyone who enjoys small town police procedurals should try her book, set in eccentric Trafalgar.

Rating: 4.5

Courtesy Mystery News, Vol. 27/Issue 5, Oct/Nov 2009.

Vicki Delany's website is http://www.vickidelany.com

FTC Full Disclosure: I received the copy of Winter of Secrets from Mystery News in order to review it.

Chocolate: A Love Story by Max Brenner

If you're in the mood for decadent chocolate recipes, sinfully rich, with sensual descriptions, and captivating art work, you'll want to try Chocolate: A Love Story: 65 Chocolate Dessert Recipes from Max Brenner's Private Collection.

Max Brenner is an Israeli chain of chocolate restaurants. If the recipes in this book are a sample of their menu, I want one of the restaurants here in Phoenix. The recipes combine exotic tastes with warm, familiar foods. And, the recipes are all put together with lyrical, romantic commentary. Start with "Optimistic Musings: Morning Chocolate Variations," with twists on pancakes, waffles, and cupcakes. Yonatan Factor's artwork, in shades of browns and oranges, add intriguing commentary to the recipes. Try "Chocolate Therapy: Comforting Pastries," or "Happy Addiction: Concentrated Chocolate."

Who could resist a recipe called "Spy-thriller chocolate Black Forest cake, covered with Alpine whipped cream and cherry, the German double agent on top?" The recipes in this book are too sophisticated for me to make, but the cakes, pies, and drinks look luscious. And, I have someone in mind who will appreciate this impressive book.

Some readers will regret the absence of pictures, but the artwork seems perfect with this luscious compilation. And, anyone who loves chocolate should be able to perfectly imagine this decadent desserts. Chocolate: A Love Story is summed up perfectly by a quote from the book itself. "Chocolate is the substitute for love and will always be there for you."

This is one of the two books you could actually win in the Fall Feast Giveaway. This book, and How to Roast a Lamb By Michael Psilakis, Barbara Kafka, a book on Greek cooking, will be prizes for three winners.

To enter the contest, email me at Email me!. If that link doesn't work for you, the email address is: lholstine@yahoo.com. Your subject line should read, Win "Fall Feast Books". Your message should include your name and mailing address.

This Fall Feast Giveaway will run until Monday, Nov 30 at 6 p.m. MT. No entries accepted after that time. The winners will be drawn that night, posted on the blog, and forwarded to Hatchette Book Group.

Chocolate: A Love Story: 65 Chocolate Dessert Recipes form Max Brenner's Private Collection by Max Brenner, Yonatan Factor (Illustrator). Little, Brown & Company,
©2009. ISBN 9780316056625 (hardcover), 144p.

*****

FTC Full Disclosure - I received a copy of Chocolate: A Love Story from Hatchette Book Groups because I'm running the Fall Feast books giveaway.

Mystery News

I just received the final issue of Mystery News. I've only been reviewing books for them for the last year, but it's been a pleasure. I've discovered new authors through the books they sent me, and it's been a treat to open up the envelope when the new issue arrived. I'm going to miss reading all of the mystery book reviews. The current, and last issue, says it was started twelve years ago. I'm a newcomer to Mystery News, but it's going to be missed.

Thank you, Lynn Kaczmarek, for asking me to review books. Good luck to you and Chris Aldrich, and Black Raven Press, wherever life takes you. I know I'll be meeting you in the mystery world someplace.

Unexpected Gifts by Holly Jacobs

In the past two years, I've read at least seven of Holly Jacobs' romances. Unexpected Gifts, the twenty-eighth she's written for Harlequin Books, is filled with the same type of likable, loving characters that drew me to her earlier books.

Fifteen years ago, Elinore (Eli) Cartwright, a teacher in the George County School District in Pennsylvania, saw the need for a teen parenting programming in the largely rural county. In all those years working with single mothers, she never thought she'd be in the same boat. But, at forty-four, she found herself pregnant, with an older, stuffy boyfriend, who never wanted to be a father, and had no interest in a baby. Her break-up with Arthur, along with her intent to help one of her students, put her together with Zac Keller.

Zac, the manager of his family's chain of grocery stores, had been interested in Eli, but he wouldn't poach as long as she was dating Arthur. As one of six adopted children, he came from a close, loving family, and that's what he hoped to have someday. Although Eli just wanted to be friends, Zac hoped he could eventually persuade her he was interested in her, and her baby. Eli sees more problems than Zac, because she's offering Arthur every chance to have a relationship with his child. And, she knows she's ten years older than Zac. Zac only hopes she'll see he loves her.

Eli's students, her friends and family, and Zac's family, all hope for the best for them. And, those characters add to the warmth and charm of this book. From the very beginning, it's obvious that the relationship will work out for Zac and Eli. And, it's that big, loving family, of adopted brothers and sisters, that offer glimpses of hope. Unexpected Gifts is the story of two people falling in love, despite problems. Zac sums the book up beautifully. "Life happens. What truly defines us as people is how we handle what life throws at us." And, when Holly Jacobs writes more romances, I'll treat them as Unexpected Gifts.

Holly Jacobs' website is www.hollyjacobs.com

Unexpected Gifts by Holly Jacobs. Harlequin, ©2009. ISBN 9780373783465 (paperback), 320p.


*****

FTC Full Disclosure - I received Unexpected Gifts from the author, with hopes I would review it.

Chasing the Bear by Robert B. Parker

If you read Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels, have you wondered how Spenser developed his code of ethics? How did he become the unusual man he is? Parker answers that question in a novel designed for teens, Chasing the Bear. For teens interested in mysteries, it's an interesting introduction to the entire series. For those of us who have read all of the Spenser books, it answers questions.

While sitting in the Boston Public Garden one day, Susan Silverman, Spenser's long-time love, asks him about his youth. He reminds her that his mother died when he was born. He was raised by his father and his mother's two brothers, Cash and Patrick, all carpenters. The three men lived together, with a dog named Pearl. They all took care of each other. The men taught him to box, read to him every night, and, in their quiet ways, taught him, "There's legal, and there's right." And, they always had each other's back, just as Spenser and Hawk would watch out for each other in Spenser's adult life.

These three men made Spenser feel important, even as a boy. Those lessons, and Spenser's stories of the year he was fourteen, show the man he would become. At fourteen, Spenser became protective of a classmate, a girl who was dragged off by her brutal, drunken father. Spenser rescued her, and later, stood up for a Mexican friend against bullying kids.

Spenser's stories of his youth foreshadow the man he becomes, a man with a code of ethics, who stands up for the underdog, and defends women. And, his anecdotes about the reading his uncles and father did shows why he has an eclectic knowledge of literature.

Spenser fans should find this an important novel, one that provides the background for a favorite character. And, Chasing the Bear, is an interesting introduction for teens. It has suspense, quiet lessons about bullying and sticking up for the underdog, and introduces a fascinating knight errant, with a code of conduct. But, most of all, I recommend Chasing the Bear to those of us who are already fans of Spenser. It's one more reason to admire a favorite character.

Robert B. Parker's website is www.robertbparker.net

Chasing the Bear by Robert B. Parker. Penguin Group (USA), ©2009. ISBN 9780399247767 (hardcover), 176p.

Sunday Salon - Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett

I've always found that I learn so much about social issues, history, and the world from mysteries, so they're perfect books for Sunday Salon. Lorna Barrett's third book in the Booktown Mystery series, Bookplate Special, is not only the best in the series, but a book that deals with important issues right now. Mystery readers will appreciate all of the comments about mystery authors and books. And, what reader can resist a town of bookstores?

Tricia Miles, owner of Haven't Got a Clue mystery bookstore in Stoneham, New Hampshire, was just angry and frustrated when she asked her former college roommate to leave her apartment. Pammy Fredericks had visited, but her visit went on for two weeks, and Pammy interfered with Tricia's business, and stole and forged a check. It was a relief to throw her out, but Pammy went on to use Tricia as a reference when applying for jobs. To Tricia's horror, it was her sister, Angelica, who hired her to work in her restaurant, Booked for Lunch. Pammy didn't last long there. The last time Tricia saw her, she was making a scene at the opening of the new food pantry. At least that was the last time she saw her, before finding her body in the dumpster behind Angelica's restaurant.

It was a pleasant surprise to find Tricia's old enemy, Sheriff Wendy Adams, wasn't the officer who responded to the 911 call. Instead, a handsome officer, Captain Grant Baker, was in charge of the case, a professional who handled the investigation much more professionally than the sheriff ever did. Even so, Tricia felt obligated to find out why her old friend was killed.

When she asked questions around town, Tricia found out about a whole other layer of society that she didn't know about, the working poor, who often went hungry or needed clothes. The Food Shelf and the adjoining Clothing Closet were there to help those residents of Stoneham. She was shocked to find some of her friends in need of their services, and, even worse, dumpster diving as "freegans," people who salvaged food, claiming too much food was wasted when people needed it.

Anyone can pick up Bookplate Special, even if you haven't read earlier books in the series. But, those of us who have read previous books will appreciate the growth of the characters as personalities. We learn more about them, and watch developing, and changing, relationships. Tricia's romantic relationship changes, and, happily for most of us, there is a change in her relationship with the sheriff's department.

Most of all, it's refreshing to watch Tricia continue to develop. Her eyes are opened to the situation around her, in this rough economy, when even some of the people she's closest to need help, and she was unaware. Barrett uses the food pantry, the Clothing Closet, and the freegans as essential components of the plot. But, these elements also point out the tough economy, and current social needs.

Lorna Barrett continues to build the characters, the stores, and the setting in her Booktown Mystery series. Bookplate Special is the most enjoyable, and the most solid, successful story in the series yet. I'll be waiting for book four, Chapter and Hearse.

Lorna Barrett's website is www.lornabarrett.com

Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett. Berkley Prime Crime, ©2009. ISBN 9780425231197 (paperback), 320p.


FTC Full Disclosure - Library copy

In Too Deep (The 39 Clues #6) by Jude Watson

Jude Watson, who wrote Book Four in The 39 Clues series, Beyond the Grave, picks up the story of Amy and Dan Cahill, in their hunt for the 39 Clues, in In Too Deep, the sixth book. This story is exciting and fast-paced. But, it's more than just a well-written adventure story. In Too Deep explores the secrets behind the death of Amy and Dan's parents, and forces Amy to look deep inside herself.

Amy's only fourteen, but she sees herself as the responsible one. She sees Dan, even though he's eleven, as her baby brother, and doesn't trust herself to tell him about her fears. And, Amy is very fearful. As the two continue their competitive hunt, that will make the family members that win, the most powerful people in the world, Amy can't trust anyone. She thinks the scariest part of the race is "having to be suspicious of every single person on the planet."

And, she certainly doesn't expect to trust Irina Spasky, the former KGB agent that grabs, and warns her. "You are afraid of everything except what you should fear." And, when Irina forces Amy to try to remember her parents' death, Amy only blames herself.

It's another well-written book that takes the reader to Australia, and then Java. The designated audience, ages nine to twelve, will appreciate the descriptions of dangerous spiders and snakes in Australia. They'll probably be fascinated by Coober Pedy, where people live underground. And, the surfing scene, with Amy and Dan's surfing bum cousin, along with one of the family branches, is truly fun. Adults will find the inclusion of Amelia Earhart and Czar Nicholas II more interesting than the target audience.

I've read all six books in The 39 Clues series. Each book provides fascinating history and background of different countries as the various family branches compete against each other, travelling the world. But, as an adult reading these books, I appreciate the deeper examination of character. Irina Spasky's motivations have been analyzed in both book five and six. Watson skillfully relates Irina's feelings, and Amy's fears.

What more can you say about a juvenile novel with a title of In Too Deep, a title with multiple meanings? As the brother and sister continue their hunt, they're in too deep to turn back. The deeper they go in the hunt, the less they trust anyone, even their au pair, Nellie. I'm not playing the 39 Clues game, hunting the clues, but I'm now In Too Deep to let this series go. Book Seven will be out in February. I'll be waiting.


Readers can join the hunt at www.the39clues.com.

In Too Deep (The 39 Clues Series #6) by Jude Watson. Scholastic, Inc., ©2009. ISBN 9780545060462 (hardcover), 206p.

FTC Full Disclosure: Scholastic sent me a review copy of this book, in the hope I would review it.