Bibliography: Hart, Carolyn. (2009).  Merry, Merry Ghost.  New York: William Morrow.  ISBN: 978-0060874377 (hc) 978-0061962929 (pb)

Plot Summary:  The late Bailey Ruth Raeburn is chosen to return to her old stomping grounds, Adelaide, OK just in time for Christmas and to help four-year-old orphan Keith meet his grandmother Susan.  When Susan decides to change her will to leave everything to Keith, someone makes sure that she can’t.  Bailey Ruth must catch the murderer and protect Keith.

Critical Analysis:  I have long been a fan of Carolyn Hart, especially the Death on Demand series.  When I found out she was writing a new series, I decided to give it a try, even though I am so tired and so over anything paranormal.  Well, am I ever so glad I did!  Bailey Ruth and the heaven she inhabits and the Oklahoma she visits are delightful all around.  Bailey Ruth is as feisty in death as she must have been in life, but her heart is in the right place.  I love the details of the world that Hart has created–Bailey Ruth’s ability to imagine a new wardrobe, to appear and disappear and carry things (but the items remain visible).  She pretends to be a police officer and provides clues to the sheriff.  She breaks all the “precepts” and is worried that she won’t get sent on any more missions.  In this series entry, lots of Christmas details and cerebration, a very dysfunctional family, and a very funny scene where Bailey Ruth and the ghost of the murder victim are pulled over while driving a car.  Well, and a murder.  Delightful and cozy and I recommend it highly (along with the others in the series.)  If you can get the audio version, even better, as the reader is excellent.

Review Excerpts: “When murder and mayhem ensue, Hart’s ghostly detective gets on the track of a clever killer. Bailey Ruth’s pleasure in her earthly wardrobe, her keen observations of the other characters and her unorthodox but expert sleuthing will engage readers from start to finish.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“A cute and cozy mystery.”–Library Journal

Reviewed from public library  audio book copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Bibliography

Plot Summary:  Sylvia left Dreyerville and her fiance, Joe,  8 years ago to deal with a health scare.  Joe never got over it, or her, and now that she is back, he’s angry and hurt.  Sylvia rents a room from the Culvers, an old married couple who have let the years put distance between them.  They all come together and rally around next door neighbor Lottie and her grandson Teddy when Lottie’s Alzheimer’s worsens.

Critical Analysis:  There are no miracles here, but lots of love and small town charm.  I thought this quick delightful read was just what someone might want to fill in an evening while getting in the Christmas spirit.  Martin does an excellent job of moving the story forward with vignettes and snippets of peoples’ lives that show glimpses into their hearts.  A true romance that will appeal to anyone with the holiday spirit.

Review Excerpts: “Charming and romantic….A must read….”–Library Journal

“It’s standard-issue sentimental holiday fare, peopled with wholesome and one-dimensional caricatures, though, notably, there’s no late-book miracle. It has plenty of competition with other seasonal titles, and there’s little to distinguish this from the others.”–Publisher’s Weekly

Reviewed from public library e-book copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary: Basketball star Brenda Slaughter is as beautiful as she is tough.  Twenty years ago, Brenda’s mother disappeared, and just as she is set to join the women’s pro basketball scene, her father disappears too. She reluctantly agrees to accept sports agent Myron Bolitar’s protection and help.  Despite Myron’s long time girl friend, they discover their mutual interest might be more than professional.  But nothing comes easy, and there are secrets and lies some people will kill to keep hidden.

Critical Analysis:  I can’t remember which librarian friend recommended the Myron books to me, but I am glad she did.  The mystery or problem at the center of the story is always complicated and suspenseful.  Each book focuses on a different client and often a different sport.  But what makes me return is the characters–Myron, Win, Esperanza, Big Cindy, Myron’s parents.  These people love each other, would do anything for each other and often crack wise and make jokes to cut the tension of high stress situations.

The BEST books of the series so far have been the personal ones, the ones that feature Myron directly in some way.  Fade Away had Myron returning to the professional basketball world as an undercover investigator and revealed what really happened to end his professional sports career, but this one is even more intimate.  With Brenda, he gets a glimpse of the life he longs for.  I recommend this series not only for sports lovers, but for fans of buddy mysteries and humor.  I think the series is also very teen friendly.

Review Excerpts:  ”Standard plotting, then, but authentic conversation, colorful characters, and exciting New York and New Jersey surrounds more than compensate. Strongly recommended.”–Library Journal

“Undaunted, Myron and his Spenser-inspired entourage…take on every soul in New Jersey with a gun, a bank account, and a bad attitude, and uncover a satisfyingly complex tangle of skullduggery. Could Myron, who pushes his wisecracking charm hard, be any more tough and adorable? “–Kirkus Reviews

“[R]ealistic portrayal of the contemporary sports world while dishing up a bit of murder and mayhem. Bolitar is a solid protagonist who is plenty tough but also smart enough to accept his shortcomings.”–Booklist

Reviewed from public library audio book.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Bibliography

Plot Summary:  Still torn between dentist Norman and detective Mike, Hannah Swensen manages to stumble over another body in between baking and serving cookies at The Cookie Jar.  The visiting minister winds up dead, and the only witness is a mynah bird squawking ”The Wages of Sin Are Death.”  Hannah, her sisters, and mother all get in the sleuthing act but when Hannah realizes who the murderer is, she almost doesn’t live to tell the others.

Critical Analysis:  I admitted in my last review to being a mystery junkie.  And now I am going to tell you that I don’t really read this series for the mysteries.    I read to see what is happening in Lake Eden and with Hannah and her family.  And I read for the fabulous and delicious recipes.  This entry was a little stronger plot-wise then the last couple that came before it, for which I am glad because I wasn’t sure how much more less than stellar mystery I could take to get my character development and recipe fix.

I think I like Hannah because she is such a normal person–she struggles a little with her weight (taste testing all those cookies!) and her hair (it can be on the frizzy side.)  She has a loving family and friends, and a small town that supports her.  I also think I enjoy the sort of romantic fantasy of what it must be like to have two very different guys be in love with you at the same time.  (I think that the Stephanie Plum series by Evanovich is similar in this way.)  I am sure there are some people who want her to make up her mind already.  (I did enjoy the third person added to the mix in Cherry Cheesecake Murder–Joanne Fluke, if you are reading this, please bring him back!)  And in this volume, I loved the whole mystery with Norman.  I felt it added to the continuing story, that everything was not going to continue as it had.

And the recipes–oh the recipes–all I can say is, even if you don’t read this series, you should look for Fluke’s Lake Eden Cookbook coming this fall–it seems like it would be perfect for holiday gifts.

Review Excerpts:  ”Bestseller Fluke’s fabulous 14th foodie mystery….Mouthwatering recipes include butterscotch bonanza bars and pineapple casserole.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“More baking, less sleuthing in this very gentle mystery. The mouthwatering recipes are winners.”–Library Journal

Reviewed from public library audiobook.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary: Felix “Fix” Castor is trying to quit–the exorcism trade that is.  He agrees to take one last case at the Bonnington Archive in London.  Seems like it should be straight forward enough, but he should have learned long ago things are never what they seem, and there are people who will do anything (summon anything) to keep him from untangling this complex web of lies to find the truth.

Critical Analysis:  Felix Castor is a great character with one heck of a back story.  And Carey does an excellent job of making the world he lives in and the skills he has seem rather ordinary in a way.  I love the details and the layers of realism and fantasy that Carey has so carefully created.  But most of all, as a mystery junkie (addict?)  I was pleased when the paranormal dark fantasy turned out to be a an excellent mystery with an exciting and suspenseful climax.  So for me, it is more that this is an interesting well-written mystery with a fascinating protagonist than anything else that will get me to put up the next installment in the series.

Review Excerpts:  ”The resolution of this ingeniously multilayered tale will satisfy fans of both fantasy and detective fiction. Fix Castor’s wisecracking cleverness in the face of weird nemeses makes him the perfect hardboiled hero for a new supernatural noir series.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“After a slow first few pages, the story takes off…. an appealing underdog protagonist who readily acknowledges his many flaws…The job-turned-mystery angle works fine too until it hits a rather chunky spot of explanation near the end. By then the book will have woven a haunting spell over most readers, ensuring anticipation of the next installment….”–VOYA

“Carey’s writing is nimble and witty, his dialogue believable. The exorcist’s sardonic observations and personal sense of tragedy make him an unlikely, likable hero….Carey transcends his comic roots in this quirky, dark and imaginative tale that compels readers to keep turning pages long after they should have gotten to sleep.”–Kirkus Reviews

Reviewed from public library copy.   Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  The Secretary of the Navy asks John Mahoney, Speaker of the House, to have his fix it guy, Joe DeMarco, investigate his nephew’s claims that fraud is being committed at a naval base in Bremerton, WA.  With the help of retired DIA agent, Emma, they discover it isn’t fraud, but an espionage ring.  When spies begin to show up dead, it seems the their control may be after more than just top secret information.

Critical Analysis:  On the surface, the premise of some of Lawson’s books seem rather like that of other political thrillers being written today.  But the devil, as they say, is in the details.  (I am tempted to go back and reread Inside Ring just so I can write a review of it here–so much about the politics between the different groups and agencies in Washington, it seems absurd but only because it is probably true.)  Here Lawson tells us everything there is to know about how a naval base works.  And, incidentally, how someone might go about infiltrating said base to collect classified information.  Fascinating stuff.

But what sets Lawson apart are his characters.  Joe DeMarco, of course, who so human and so real, and who has that quality that I love in many protagonists of my favorite mysteries and thrillers–a desire for truth, justice and helping others that ignores politics, what it is good for his career and the fact that he could end up dead.  But we also have Emma, who made an appearance in the first book.  What I love about Emma is that she is older, retired, but still sharp and on her game.  And I know that Lawson has to have written her back story and hope that means that she might appear in other entries as well.  And then there is the Speaker himself, John Mahoney.  Lawson makes him as stereotypical as they come and then gives him hidden strength and cunning to get out of the tightest spots.  He’s what you love to hate about politicians and yet in the end he supports DeMarco and Emma.  I have a long road trip coming up, I think I’ll add the next DeMarco book to my listening stack.

Review Excerpts: “…[I]t’s the character of DeMarco, a man of insecurities, weaknesses and outright defects, that separates this new series from the herd. DeMarco also has a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor that contrasts nicely to the solemn gravity of his professional circumstances.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“[T]he author (a former civilian contractor for the U.S. Navy) works in plenty of the kinds of details only an insider could know. At once a solid thriller and a revealing look behind the scenes of American politics, the tale will appeal to a wide spectrum of readers.”–Booklist

Reviewed from public library audiobook.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Bibliography

Plot Summary:  Psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs is asked to fulfill a death bed wish: settle once and for all whether a couple’s aviator son was killed as reported in the Great War.  Starting with psychics in London, the case takes her to France and a visit with dear friend Priscilla who lost her three brothers in the war, one who may have a connection to the case.  Maisie is forced to deal with her feelings about the war and comes to realize there is much she doesn’t know about her mentor Maurice.

Critical Analysis:  Maisie Dobbs remains one of my favorite characters in fiction.  Winspear has a real talent for creating complex, layered real people who live in complex real worlds.  The setting, the time period only add to feeling–looking back and moving forward from a momentous event that left no one unchanged.

In this volume, I especially liked the deft plot–the mystery within the mystery alongside a parallel case with a twisty ending that may be one of the most suspenseful scenes I’ve read in years.  I actually feel lucky to be a little behind the series, since that means there are several more volumes waiting for me.

Readalikes:  For a different perspective on recovering from the Great War, check out Charles Todd’s Inspector Rutledge series.  Rutledge postponed his career at Scotland Yard to fight in the war.  Now he is back, shell shocked with a dark secret.

I think Maisie Dobbs and Laurie King’s Mary Russell might be kindred spirits.  I was especially reminded of The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, which features multiple mysteries and Locked Rooms where Russell remembers and confronts her past.  Maisie, part of the joy in the series lies in the world building and character growth across the series.

Review Excerpts:  ”Fans of Miss Marple and Precious Ramotswe are sure to embrace Maisie, a pitch-perfect blend of compassion and panache.”–Booklist

“Filled with convincing characters, this is a complex tale of healing, of truth and half-truth, of long-held secrets, some, perhaps, to be held forever. Winspear writes seamlessly, enriching the whole with vivid details of English life on a variety of social levels.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“A thought-provoking series entry, the story contains revelations of secret missions, homosexuality, the lives of persons from all layers of society, and a winning heroine who is not perfect and is willing to learn from her mistakes.”–School Library Journal

Reviewed from public library audio book.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  Michael is writing down his story from jail, trying to find his voice lost when childhood tragedy struck and left him mute.  He tells of his uncle, the only family he had left, the art class and talent for drawing that helped save him, his party trick talent for picking locks that led to his career as a boxman, the dangerous people he associated with because of it, and the girl he still loves who held the key to unlocking his past.

Critical Analysis:  From almost the first page, Hamilton hooks the reader with Mike’s voice.  Unique, interesting, it draws you into the story and makes you want to keep reading to discover what happened to cause him to stop speaking.  (It is unclear whether he can’t or simply won’t speak.)  In addition, Hamilton chooses to have Mike tell his story non-linearly, so the reader knows eventually we will be told what happened those many years before, but we don’t know when we will exactly find out.

The secondary cast of characters is a crazy rag tag bunch, some more fleshed out than others, but all perfectly realized, from the high school jock in the football locker room to the crazy clean up man working for the Man from Detroit to the FBI agent who really only has Micheal’s best interests at heart.  Very serious in tone, Hamilton injects humor in ways that are unexpected and will make you laugh (and wish for Mike to really be able to speak…)

Hamilton also creates a sense of what Detroit is, a real sense of place that somehow fits the story and Mike.  He doesn’t glorify it, but neither does he knock it down or bemoan what has befallen it.  In the scenes taking place in New York and California, they seem to serve as contrast to Michigan.

This is not a mystery in the sense of trying to discover who done it, but there are scenes that build to a thrilling and chilling showdown where Michael tries to salvage his future, although perhaps the most chilling is when Michael finally reveals what happened so many years before.  The reader will find it as cathartic as Michael did.  I listen to a lot of books on audio, and I usually don’t comment much on the format, but in this case, the audio adds a layer to the reading (listening?) of the book, as you hear the voice of someone who cannot speak.

This is a great adult book for teens, as most of the story happens when Mike is in high school and immediately following, and the twin tales of entering a life of crime alongside finding, losing, and searching for the love of his life will both intrigue and resonate with them.

Review Excerpts:  ”As coming-of-age novels go, this one is too good for words.”–New York Times

“Readers may tire of lock lore a bit earlier than Hamilton, but sharp prose and a strong cast should keep them in line.”–Kirkus Reviews

“[O]ffbeat thriller from Edgar-winner Hamilton…Readers will hope to hear more from Mike.”–Publisher’s  Weekly

Reviewed from public library audio book.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Bibliography

Plot Summary:   Young Albany midwife Mary Sutter wants nothing more then to study to be a surgeon.  But the idea of female doctors is still foreign to most, and no one will take her as a student or apprentice.  At the beginning of the Civil War, she sees an opportunity where others see adventure or struggle.  Too young for the nursing corps, a chance meeting with the secretary of state leads her to a military hospital where she works tirelessly beside a surgeon to save as many lives as she can.

Critical Review:  There is something compelling and fascinating about the ideas, people, and events in this book.  This is not a romantic view of the Civil War or of women entering a field once closed to them.  Matter of fact, some of the horrible details and descriptions are part of what makes this a compelling read.  Combine that with real people and events from history, a set of very human characters who give perspective to what is happening, and even a love story and this book moves beyond just a Civil War story.  It is both epic and intimate at the same time, quite an accomplishment.  The mix of real historical people and events with the characters in the story contribute to this as do the detailed descriptions of life in military camp, of the military hospital, and the battlefield.

The most compelling of all is the character of Mary.  From almost the beginning, she is torn between what she desires most in the world, studying to become a surgeon, and the rest of her life, her family-twin sister, mother, brother; and romance-neighbor next door, various men she encounters along her way.  She is determined and she won’t give up till she gets what she wants.  And yet we see her work till she almost makes herself ill, worry about her loved ones in the war, rush home to be with her pregnant sister, show grief and guilt over her actions.  The ending is very satisfying, but I won’t give it away.

Review Excerpts: “From a variety of perspectives…the novel offers readers a picture of a time of medical hardship, crisis, and opportunity. Oliveira depicts the amputation of a leg, the delivery of a baby, and soldierly life; these are among the fine details that set this novel above the gauzier variety of Civil War fiction.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“Oliveira deftly depicts the chaotic aftermath of battles and develops her own characters while incorporating military and political leaders of the time. The historic details enrich the narrative without overshadowing Mary’s struggles.”–Library Journal

Reviewed from public library copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  30 something American living in London Charlotte appears to have it all–her own successful PR firm that pursues top clients and a boyfriend who wants to buy a house and move in together.  Why isn’t she happier?  One morning she is thrown for a loop–she sees a young woman in a beat up VW that looks a lot like her younger self.  Inexplicably, she decides to follow her, and discovers through some fantastical time travel or worm hole that she is meeting herself ten years earlier.  Not one to let opportunities go to waste, Charlotte starts to think of all the sage advice she can give herself at 21.  Little does she suspect how much her younger self will teach her.

Critical Analysis:  Like the best chick lit, this fluffy, fun, humorous and romantic tale is much more than it first appears.  Potter, like the best chick lit authors, understands that the best story will be grounded in some larger themes but refuse to let these themes become didatic or weighty.

Readers who like their fantasy and science fiction pure will argue with how the time travel takes place.  Me, I could care less, because it sets up such a great juxtaposition between Charlotte then and now.  Charlotte is part of what makes this work so well.  Readers will identify with her desire to be the best and a success and will also know what it feels like to wonder if that’s all there is.

Not just Charlotte, but all the characters are funny, witty, sharp and endearing, and Potter places them into marvelous humorous and often sticky situations that will ring true.  I did find the ending  little abrupt, as it felt like Potter had sort of decided she had written enough and ended the story. Or maybe I was just enjoying everything too much to want it to stop.

Readalikes:  This would be a great read for teens who enjoyed Sarah Mlynowski’s Gimme a Call, where a high school senior girl discovers the fact that she can call her freshman self on her cell phone.

Review Excerpts: “Though the plot mechanics grind noisily, Potter (Me and Mr. Darcy) rescues her high-concept romance with charming characters, sharp dialogue, and a satisfying conclusion.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“Potter recaptures the humor and charm of her debut in this quirky, lighthearted follow-up. Despite the implausible plot, Charlotte’s struggle to reconcile where she is now with what her dreams once were will ring true with readers.”–Booklist

“If you were in your late teens or early twenties in the 1990s, you’ll identify with Charlotte and her time-travel adventure. Chick-lit connoisseurs will enjoy this twist on a much-loved, albeit familiar, story line.”–Library Journal

Reviewed from public library copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.