Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA

Kris Radish's latest book, Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA is for every woman who, after years of marriage, looks at her husband, and wonders who he is. It's for every woman who walks into her house, and wonders what it would be like if she lived there alone. It's for every woman who wants a little spice back in her life. And, it's for every woman who knows she has sisters and friends she can count on.

Once again, Radish, author of Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral , brings us a wonderful cast of women. Addy Lipton has been married twenty-eight years. She's fifty-two, a third grade teacher, beloved in the small town of Parker, PA. Her son, Mitchell, is in college. And, she can't remember why she ever loved her husband, Lucky, especially when she thinks of "The Kingdom of Krap," the overstuffed garage where she hasn't been able to park in years. And, she's all set to fulfill her deepest need, to slam her car straight into those garage doors, when Lucky appears in front of her, saying he won a trip to Costa Rica. Even her dreams of recovering her marriage, through a trip to the paradise of Costa Rica, are shattered when Lucky has a accident that ruins his back, and lands him in the hospital. Facing months of time at home with Lucky, Addy just can't take it anymore.

Enter Hell and the Sweat-Hers. No, it's not a musical group, but Addy's sister, Hell, and the women she works out with, best friends and a needed support network. As Addy and Lucky struggle with the disaster of their marriage, Hell and the other women are there to support Addy, with humor, wine, and hugs. Lucky also faces the consequences of years of neglect of their marriage, with the support of the men in the neighborhood. Eventually, all of Parker, PA is drawn into the story of Addy and Lucky's marriage.

Like Barbara Samuel, Kris Radish creates supportive women who are there for friends. These are strong women with a sense of humor, necessities when facing the disasters of life. There's warmth, humor, and philosophy in Radish's enjoyable books. Radish's Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA is a treat for the heart.

Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA by Kris Radish. Bantam Books, ©2008. ISBN 9780553805307 (hardcover), 343p.

Louise Ure at The Velma Teague Library

Louise Ure, author of The Fault Tree and Forcing Amaryllis, will be appearing at The Velma Teague Library in Glendale, AZ on Monday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m. as part of The Authors at the Teague series. Please join us for this free program, if you're in the Valley of the Sun on Monday evening.

Ure is a Tucson native whose mysteries are set in Tucson. The Shamus award-winning novel, Forcing Amaryllis, was the first in her proposed Arizona trilogy. Monday night, Louise will discuss both books, including her current crime novel, The Fault Tree, and sign copies of the new book. Thank you to The Poisoned Pen Bookstore for furnishing books for the program.

The Velma Teague Library is at 7010 N. 58th Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85301. Call 623-930-3431 for more information.

We'd love to welcome you, along with Louise Ure.

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher

I'm sure that Kate Summerscale's nonfiction account, The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective, will win all kinds of awards. It's already had rave reviews. I thought it was as dry as dust.

In 1860, the body of a three-year-old boy was found at the bottom of an outdoor privy at Road Hill. It was plain that someone in the household, family or servants, was responsible for the death. Scotland Yard sent Detective-Inspector Jonathan Whicher, one of their best investigators, to handle the case. When Whicher made an accusation, all of England rose up in protest. He returned to his job, but finally faded into retirement, a broken man. Five years later, the killer confessed.

Summerscale said she modelled this account on the country-house murder mystery. And, she told about the development of interest in mysteries and detection because of this case. Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins were just two of the interested audience members in England. However, Summerscale's account lacks the character development of those murder mysteries. Instead, we have a long, drawn out narrative, with details repeated over and over again. For me, the book read much more like a textbook than a true crime narrative.

I found The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher to be long, dry, and repetitive. However, reviewers in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Kirkus all loved the book. In fact, the Kirkus reviewer referred to it as, "A bang-up sleuthing adventure." I'll leave it up to you.

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale. Walker & Company, ©2008, ISBN 9780802715357 (hardcover), 360p.

What Burns Within

What Burns Within by Sandra Ruttan marks the debut of a police procedural series, one that is a must-read for anyone who appreciates the genre. The reader follows RCMP Constables Tain, Hart and Nolan through the investigation of three difficult cases, until the officers discover their cases converge.

Tain, Hart and Nolan are three officers who "share a common tendency toward insubordination and independence." They were split up due to fall-out from a difficult case. Now, the Vancouver officers have tough new cases. Tain is dealing with child abduction cases in which young girls have been snatched off the street. Ashlyn Hart works arson fires, until the body of one of the abducted girls is discovered in a fire. And, Craig Nolan is handling the investigation into a serial rapist. Despite their supervisor's attempt to keep them apart, the three investigators discover common links in the cases. Suddenly, they're in the middle of a case that could blow up for the Vancouver RCMP.

Ruttan has created three strong-willed characters, strong officers with a dedication to their job, and an unwillingness to deal with fools. They may share that trait, but Ruttan has given them distinct personalities and backgrounds. She skillfully handles the minor characters as well, from Sergeant Daly to key witnesses, and the abducted girls. The cases are fascinating in this excellent police procedural. What Burns Within is an outstanding debut for a new series. Fans will be waiting for the November release of the follow-up, The Frailty of Flesh.

Sandra Ruttan's website is www.sandraruttan.com

What Burns Within by Sandra Ruttan. Dorchester Publishing Company, Incorporated, ©2008. ISBN 9780843960747 (paperback), 384p.

Memories are Murder

Those of us who are mystery readers in the United States probably don't know the Canadian writers of crime fiction as well as we should. Yes, we've been reading Louise Penny lately. But, Lou Allin took readers to an area of Canada most of us are unfamiliar with, northern Ontario. Memories Are Murder was the last in the Belle Palmer mystery series, but it's never too late to discover the series.

Belle Palmer owns a small realty company in Sudbury, lives with her German Shepherd, and visits her father in a nearby nursing home. A small business owner is always on pins and needles, but it doesn't help when her employee has to leave unexpectedly, and turns her job over to a young woman named Yoyo. Belle's peaceful life is also rattled when an ex-boyfriend shows up. They're discovering their adult friendship when Gary drowns on a trip to study the behavior of elk. What else could go wrong? How about a break-in, a gas poisoning, and threats from a meth user?

Belle Palmer is an admirable character, loyal to her father and friends, while trying to make a living in a struggling economy. Don't miss the chance to get to know her in Memories Are Murder, or any of the previous five books in Lou Allin's series about Belle Palmer. She'll be missed.

Lou Allin, the author of the series, retired and moved from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. So, she left Belle Palmer behind, and she's starting a new series featuring Holly Martin, a female RCMP corporal in charge of a small deetachment in Fossil Bay. Since Allin is now living on Vancouver Island, let's hope there are a number of crimes for Holly Martin to investigate.

Lou Allin's website is www.louallin.com

Memories Are Murder by Lou Allin. RendezVous Crime, ©2007. ISBN 978-1894917339 (paperback), 283p.

The Blood Ballad

Rett MacPherson's The Blood Ballad perfectly fit my reading mood. It has mystery, a likable character with a strong family life, and the cold case angle.

Torie O'Shea is a genealogist and local historian in New Kassel, Missouri, a small tourist town on the Mississippi River. She's traced her family history back generations, along with that of other families. So, she's a little shaken when a man shows up with old recordings, saying they prove her grandfather was actually part of the Morgan Family, not just a fiddler with the group. His claims cast doubt on all of her previous research. Naturally, she can't let the mystery rest, and the arrival of an unknown recording, arriving a week after the sender's murder, only increases her curiousity. Torie O'Shea isn't the type to let an old case rest.

Torie O'Shea, and her family, are the greatest strengths of this series. Other readers must appreciate them as well, because this one is the eleventh in the series. Let's hope we can continue to read about Torie, her daughters' fights, and her disagreements with her stepfather, for many years to come. Rett MacPherson continues to show them to their best advantage in this latest mystery, The Blood Ballad.

Rett MacPherson's website is www.rettmacpherson.com

The Blood Ballad by Rett MacPherson. St. Martin's Minotaur. ©2008. ISBN 9780312362225 (hardcover), 228p.

Chloe Anne: Force of Nature

Any cat lover will appreciate Chloe Anne's wit as she tells her own story in Chloe Anne: Force of Nature, with the help of her owner, Valerie Oblath. Oblath has carefully studied her cat's behavior, and she and Chloe cleverly tell about their life together.

With her original owners, Chloe Anne lived a pedestrian life, with a pedestrian name, Penny. She was horrified to discover she was going to be sent to the Humane Society, or, as she thinks of it, "the Big House," because her owners were moving. The treatment wasn't as bad as she had anticipated, after watching too much television, but it was a joy to be discovered, adopted, and told that she was "too beautiful for words." Her name was changed to Chloe Anne, and she went home to meet the other cat, Cinders.

Chloe's tale will bring smiles and laughter. There's her story of being a voluptuous cat, thanks to the Food Network. There are her adventures with a duck, the washing machine, and the fireplace. She's an adventurous cat, who is just plain fun. She's Valerie Oblath's Chloe Anne: Force of Nature.

Chloe Anne's website is www.chloeanneforceofnature.com

Chloe Anne: Force of Nature by Valerie Oblath. Three C's Publishing LLC, ©2008. ISBN 978-0980062328 (hardcover), 148p.

Winners and Betty Webb contest

Congratulations to the winners of the autographed copies of Jane K. Cleland's Antiques to Die For. John M. from Sunset, UT won a copy, as did Melissa P. from Lafitte, LA. The books will go out in the mail tomorrow.

This week, I have autographed copies of two of Betty Webb's books to offer to readers. When Desert Wives first came out, it preceeded the news stories about Warren Jeffs and his polygamist sect. Now, it seems to be right out of the headlines. When private detective Lena Jones helps a thirteen-year-old girl escape from a polygamy compound on the Utah/Arizona border, she's forced to go underground as a wife, in order to find a killer.

Because it's a cold case for Lena Jones, Desert Run is one of my favorite in this series. On Christmas Eve, 1944, a group of prisoners tunneled out of a German POW camp in Arizona, and escaped. Now, over fifty years later, when a movie is being filmed, one of the former escapees is murdered. Is there a secret that someone still wants kept, all these years later?

So, Desert Wives or Desert Run? If you'd like to win either 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 Win Desert Wives or Win Desert Run. Your message should include your mailing address. Entrants only in the U.S., please.

The contest will end Thursday, May 15 at 6 p.m. PT. Jim will draw the winners at that time. The winners will be notified, and the books will go out in the mail the next morning. Good luck!

The Night Tourist

Katherine Marsh just won the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery for The Night Tourist. It's an intriguing story, one that I would recommend to fans of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

At fourteen, Jack Perdu is a Classics prodigy whose father is chair of the Yale's Archeology Department. He's also a lonely teen, whose mother was killed in an accident when he was six. After Jack is hit by a car, his father sends him to an unusual doctor in New York City. Since that's where his mother died, Jack's fascinated by the city. His one attempt at tourism ends when he's taken into the underworld by a ghost named Euri. As he explores the unknown world with his new friend, he encounters Charon, who ferries the dead to the underworld, and Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guards the gates. Even though he discovers he only has three days there, or he can't return to the real world, Jack's hopeful he can find his mother.

Like Riordan's books, Marsh capitalizes on classic mythology, and the story of a lonely teen. The Night Tourist is a compelling mystery, involving love, friendship, and mythology.

The Night Tourist by Katherine Marsh. Hyperion Books for Children. ©2007. ISBN 9781423106890 (hardcover), 232p.