Review: Margarita Nights
Margarita Nights
Phyllis Smallman
McArthur & Company
ISBN 1552786994
Trade Paperback
Some women just pick the wrong guy to fall in love with.  Sherri Travis is one.  She loves Jimmy Travis.  I’m not sure why.  He is a golf pro from a better social class than Sherri, and he tends to get into all kinds of trouble.  Money trouble.  Woman trouble.  Stuff like that.  Sherri is trying to divorce Jimmy, which makes his mother very happy.  Jimmy?  Not so much.  He can’t/won’t accept that Sherri really means it.  And since she keeps letting him back into her bed, I can see why he is having a hard time believing her.
Sherri tends bar at the Sunset Bar and Grill in Jacaranda, Florida.  She likes her job.  She meets lots of people, has friends of all kinds. She’s been doing it long enough that she can get into that groove, do her job, and still think about other things without making a mess behind the bar.
When the police tell her that Jimmy is dead, blown up in the same explosion that destroyed his boat, Sherri refuses to believe it.  She is convinced, based on her knowledge of Jimmy and his character, that he has taken this opportunity to skip town, get out of whatever hot water he’s currently in, and he’ll come back when the dust settles.  Sherri decides to find out why Jimmy skipped town; she thinks this will get the police off her back.  They think she killed him, and they have good reason to think that: she’s the beneficiary on a large insurance policy and she
threatened to kill him not all that long before the boat blew up.
Using her connections and her listening skills (bartenders do tend to be good at this), she does her best to figure out what Jimmy was up to.  Of course, there are people in Jacaranda who don’t take kindly to this interest.  The police aren’t thrilled about her poking into things; the people involved with Jimmy are none too happy, and they make their displeasure known.  Still, Sherri persists and figures out what really happened.
I found Margarita Nights to be entertaining and well written.  Smallman knows how to plot, how to write believable characters (even if I don’t particularly LIKE Sherri’s inability to let go of Jimmy), and how to put the reader smack dab in the middle of Jacaranda and its environs.
Margarita Nights is the first in a series; Sex in a Sidecar has just come out.
Reviewed by P.J. Coldren.
February 24, 2010
Tags: mystery Posted in: Full Reviews 
No Comments
Sisters in Crime in Richmond?
Not so many years ago, fictional female characters were frequently the victims of graphic sadism and women writers were treated as less than equal to their male counterparts throughout the mystery field. They were rarely nominated for awards and their books weren’t being reviewed at a percentage rate comparable to their participation in the field.
Sisters in Crime (SinC) was formed in 1987 with the express purpose of helping women who write, review, buy, or sell crime fiction. The ultimate goal was “to become a service organization to address issues of concern to everyone involved in the mystery field”. The organization has made great strides over the years but, as recently as November 2009, when Publishers Weekly issued its list of Best Books of 2009, there were no women in the top 10, only two female mystery writers in the fiction section and, of seven titles selected in the mystery section, only two were by women. To make matters worse, in the first three quarters of 2009, only two of fifty publications had reviewed more mystery novels written by women than those written by men. Of the other 48 publications, a number were very heavily weighted in favor of male mystery writers to the tune of 79% or more. Clearly, after 23 years, there is still much to be done.
Today, SinC has 3,600 members in chapters all over the country, involved in many activities to “make things better for our sister writers and strengthen the field for our sister readers” and includes many men in its membership, men who support the aims of the organization. It is the only national mystery association that offers full membership to readers, writers, and industry professionals. Two chapters currently serve Virginia, the Chesapeake chapter representing the District of Columbia, central and eastern Maryland and northern Virginia and the Hampton Roads chapter. There is a growing interest in possibly starting a chapter here in central Virginia. If you think you might like to be a part of this and would like to know more, please leave a comment here or send a message to cncbooks1@gmail.com and I’ll pass your name and email address on to the proper person.
February 23, 2010
Posted in: Tales of a Bookseller No Comments
Teeny Reviews X 3
The Telltale Turtle
Joyce & Jim Lavene
Midnight Ink, 2008
ISBN 0738712264
Trade Paperback
Pet psychic Mary Catherine is a widow with panache and a successful radio show. Then, one day, she hears the thoughts of an animal in distress and discovers a turtle with the body of his murdered owner. Unfortunately, turtles don’t have a good grasp on communication skills so Mary Catherine will need to do some sleuthing to figure out what has happened, especially since the police don’t exactly have faith in her psychic abilities.
I’m not sure if this is a standalone or the first in a series—no new titles have been listed yet—but I enjoyed it. It’s entertaining in a lighthearted way and quite amusing to “read” the thoughts of the animals.
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Hollywood Cemetery: A Tour
James E. DuPriest, Jr.
Richmond Discoveries, 1989
ISBN 0941087018
Trade Paperback
This is a small (28 pages) booklet that would be of little interest to anyone other than a resident of Richmond, Virginia, or someone who likes to explore old cemeteries. Hollywood Cemetery, dedicated in 1849, is an especially beautiful resting place for people from all walks of life, including U.S. presidents, Confederate soldiers and generals, and Supreme Court justices. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Hollywood is a place where locals and tourists go to enjoy incredible beauty and peace while immersing themselves in history.
This treatise offers descriptions of the burial sites of some of the more prominent “citizens” as well as many photographs and the history of the cemetery and is a must-have for anyone with an interest in cemeteries in general and this one in particular.
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The Unscratchables
The Unscratchables
Cornelius Kane
Scribner, 2009
ISBN 1416596410
Trade Paperback
San Bernardo police dog detective Max “Crusher” McNash finds that he must ignore his misgivings and work with special agent Cassius Lap of the Feline Bureau of Investigation when a serial killer cat begins targeting dogs, starting with two Rottweiler goons for hire and progressing through movie star Jack Russell Crowe and other victims. Along the way, they are offered help by an incarcerated psycho cat, convicted of murder.
Seemingly just another entry in the collection of animal-driven mysteries, this one is different. Most of the books in this subgenre are naturally very cozy in nature and involve humans but this is a classic hardboiled story with a great deal of satirical humor set in a completely human-free world (although all the accoutrements of humans–clothing, bars, divorce, etc.–are present).  Anyone who likes the Raymond Chandlers of the mystery world and who can place tongue firmly in cheek will enjoy this book. I really hope there will be more stories of Crusher and Cass.
February 22, 2010
Tags: animals, cozy, hardboiled, mystery, reference Posted in: Teeny Reviews No Comments
Indies Rock!
I love being an independent business owner. Obviously, I wish we hadn’t had to close the storefront, that this economy hadn’t been messing with so many of us the last couple of years, but I’m glad my daughter Annie and I took the plunge, the leap of faith.
Being an indy has made me so much more aware of other indies than I used to be, not only other retailers but also those folks who supply us retailers. Over the years, I’ve come across many with products I loved even though they didn’t really “fit” us and often wished we could stretch a point, so to speak.
One of the few advantages of no longer having a storefront is that I can experiment with a few ideas and look for things I think people might like at the cons and festivals we’re still doing.  So, one day not long ago, I came across this little gem of an idea. We actually would have wanted this in the store but didn’t know about it back then.
In My Book is a little company that has developed these neat bookmarks. Robin Blum had the idea to start with and 
Meredith Hamilton does the artwork. Between them, they’ve come up with a nifty concept, a greeting card that becomes a bookmark, sort of a 2-for-1 deal. Pick out the card you want to give someone and then they can tear off the front to have a very cool bookmark. They’re nice heavy stock, too, not those flimsy paper bookmarks we used to give out (although our store bookmark, while flimsy, was a nice one and popular).
This is the beauty of independent business. Anybody, and that means you, can have a small brainstorm and turn it into a livelihood. You might not be able to quit your day job, at least not right away, but maybe maybe you’ll turn out to be the guy that invented the pet rock or the sticky note. You just never know what will take the public’s fancy but what fun it can be to give it a shot. These days, with the internet, it’s easier in some ways (much harder in others) because the potential is pretty much unlimited if you can just figure out how to reach your target markets. That’s where a lot of hard work and more than a bit of serendipity come in.
To any business, every sale or transaction matters, but especially to an independent. We don’t have big corporate bank accounts to fall back on and we have to pay bills like anyone else. If you like these greeting card bookmarks, go to their website at In My Book and buy some or look up a retail store in your neighborhood—or just give me a holler 
February 21, 2010
Posted in: Tales of a Bookseller 2 Comments
Review: The Sound of Building Coffins
The Sound of Building Coffins
Louis Maistros
Toby Press, 2009
ISBN 1592642551
Hardcover
I first read the first 5000 words of “The Sound of Building Coffins” as part of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards in 2008. Â If I had the rest of the book, I would have finished reading right then. Â As it was, those first chapters haunted me. I bought the book as soon as I heard it was available and it did not go onto my massive TBR pile.
The tale begins in 1891 New Orleans as the Creole Age was dying and the Jazz Age was being forged in the fires of poverty and calamity. Nine-year-old Typhus Morningstar is riding his bike to the river with a sack of aborted fetuses courtesy of Dr. Jack. Those babies are going to the river, to be ‘rebirthed’ into catfish. Further down the Mississippi, Marcus Nobody Special is fishing. So far, he’s kept nothing of what he’s caught since he casts his line for a particular catfish.
That same half-moon night, lynchings of Sicilian prisoners take place in the New Orleans jail. Reverend Noonday Morningstar (Typhus’s father) and several of his cohorts are summoned to the wife of one of those men because her infant son is possessed by a demon. They perform a voodoo exorcism using a hand of glory claimed from the child’s hanged father and rebirth the baby afterwards. Â Not all of the party survive that night and none remain unscathed. That demon pursues the rest of the party, alive and dead, through the next several years.
New Orleans itself is as strong a character as any. Through the pages, you can feel the damp, hear the hot sweet strains of a cornet changing music history, taste the spice of cajun food, and see the bodies rising out of the ground with the weather. The Crescent City’s call is so strong there are times you have to stop and recollect the storyline, but the effort is very worthwhile.
WARNING: Â After reading this book, you’re going to have some cravings for some low country boil and beignets, maybe some crawfish etouffe and Preservation Hall jazz.
Reviewed by Rebecca Kyle.
February 20, 2010
Tags: dark fantasy/horror, historical Posted in: Full Reviews No Comments
Review: The Heretic’s Daughter
The Heretic’s Daughter
Kathleen Kent
Back Bay Books, 2009
ISBN 031602449X
Trade Paperback
For me there are numerous mysteries of life, most of which involve how we humans treat other humans (and animals). My list includes but is not limited to:
Inhumane treatment of American Indians;
Slavery;
and
The Salem witch trials.
How could our ancestors have made major advances in so many different improvements in our life and given us the building blocks of what we enjoy today, but have been so clueless about people and justice?
The Heretic’s Daughter is the fictionalized account of the Salem witch trialswritten by Kathleen Kent, a tenth generation descendent of the real life Martha Carrier who was tried as a witch and executed in 1692.
The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts and is told from the perspective of Sarah Carrier, daughter of Martha. Sarah is not close with her mother or her father, both of whom she finds stern and cold. When smallpox strikes her brother, Sarah is sent to the home of an aunt and uncle where she forms a close bond with a cousin. Life in this setting is so different and enjoyable that Sarah resents being brought home when the smallpox crisis has passed.
Life in 17th century New England was bleak; the fear of Indian attacks, isolation, the challenges of farming and being subject to punishment at the whim of witch hunters made life difficult, to say the least.
According to the author’s account and supported by historical sources, being accused, imprisoned and executed as a witch was accomplished without evidence and on capricious information by a person or persons who simply may not have liked the accused or felt slighted or even envious or revengeful toward the accused. The conditions in the prisons were deplorable and the family of the accused was responsible for providing food to the imprisoned. The prison also held children as was the case of the Carriers: Sarah herself along with a younger sibling were also arrested and spent time in prison. Sadly, Sarah met up with her mother as well as her beloved cousin while in prison.
Interestingly, if a person admitted to being a witch, prison and death could be avoided. Martha Carrier maintained a strong sense of justice and continued to profess her innocence until she was executed. Men as well as women were executed for supposedly practicing witchcraft. Indeed, four men along with Martha were executed on August 19, 1692. Despite Sarah feeling unloved, she did eventually gain an understanding of her parents.
As a descendent of Martha Carrier, Kathleen Kent grew up hearing stories about the Salem Witch Trials. This book is her debut novel which is very well written and, no doubt, researched to fill in the gaps. It’s a book, I know I’ll never forget and I highly recommend it.
Reviewed by Jean Tribull.
February 18, 2010
Tags: historical fiction Posted in: Full Reviews No Comments
When Learning Sort of Sneaks Up on You
Returning guest blogger, Kathleen Delaney, talks about what she learns from books.
Last night I watched Julie and Julia. Again. The first time I watched it with an eight year old and a six year old. I got more out of it last night.
I’ve been a Julia Child fan for years. I guess that’s why I received two copies of the movie for Christmas. My kids grew up on Julia Child recipes. They got very used to seeing me in the kitchen, dishtowel over my shoulder, Mastering The Art of French Cooking spread out on the counter while I tried to figure out how to properly truss a chicken or dodge bubbling olive oil while I browned stew meat.
My mother was a good cook. I don’t know why, my grandmother was a rotten cook. Mother ran to chicken fried steak (we used to tenderize it with the hammer), meat loaf and fried chicken, dishes we now call comfort food, and she did them well. My father had grown up on a farm and that was the kind of food he liked. I didn’t know there was any other way to eat until my first trip to France. I came home determined to learn how to cook like the French. And then along came Julia.
It seems to me that the knowledge I treasure most I got from reading. Recreational reading, not textbooks. And, before you say anything, I know cookbooks aren’t fiction, at least most of them aren’t, but for me, cooking is recreational, and reading cookbooks is just as much fun as the mysteries I was, and still am, addicted to. I learn something new with each new one I buy, even if I don’t try every recipe.
I’ve learned other things from the novels I’ve devoured. I’ve peeked into the lives of lawyers, doctors, hotel maids, dairy farmers, and I’ve lived through terrible tragedy and experienced wonderful joy with those same people. I’ve not only learned a lot from those books, but have spent many pleasant hours doing it. But what I didn’t realize was that, just as Julia Child taught me how to cook, the authors of those books taught me to write.
I’ve learned how to construct a plot, how to get rhythm into a story, how to build that story to a crisis, then back off and build again to a greater one, never letting go of the tension as the story builds. I learned that all action springs out of character, and that characters must stay true to who they are. By that, I mean you can’t make someone a meek little mouse, hiding in a corner, and then suddenly, without warning, turn him or her into a super hero. That kind of thing takes time, in real life as well as in fiction, and that person’s journey out of the corner to super herodom just might be the story.
I’ve also read many books on “how to” construct a plot, build characters, keep the story moving, and most of them have been more than helpful, but the people I go back to, time and time again, are the ones who weave those stories you can’t put down, who introduce you to people whose lives you share for two to three hundred pages, and who you don’t want to leave when the last page is finally read. Those are the ones who, like Julia who taught me to take joy in cooking well, are the ones who taught me to take joy in story telling, and who, like Julia, set the bar high. So my most heartfelt thanks to all of them, for the pleasant hours I’ve spent with them, and the pleasant hours I’m spending creating my own characters. And now I must end this, for I’m off to the grocery store, roast chicken sounds pretty good right now, and I think I’ll stop by the library on my way home. Just as soon as I finish writing this next chapter.
February 16, 2010
Posted in: Guest Blogs One Comment
Review: Split
Split
Swati Avasthi
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN 0375863400
Hardcover (ARC), March 2010
When his abusive father kicks him out for having the audacity to fight back, 16-year-old Jace Witherspoon has only one place to go–his older brother Christian in New Mexico. From Chicago to Albuquerque is not an easy trip, particularly if you have only recently gotten your license and don’t have money, but Jace goes with the faith that his brother will take him in.
You see, Christian ran away several years ago and has found a new life for himself. Having lived through their father’s abuse, Christian knows exactly what Jace is going through.
Unfortunately, two abused kids do not necessarily make the best roommates. They’ve got a lot of trauma, secrets, and bitterness to live through. They do have help from Christian’s English teacher girlfriend, Mirriam, and Jace’s co-worker, Dakota.
Can they ever feel safe from their Dad? And can they get their Mom, who they both fear is going to be killed by their father away?
“Split” is a compelling read from the first line to the breathless end. While the story’s not a thriller per se, this relationship novel definitely had me on the edge of my seat all the way til three AM. This is an excellent book for older young adults and even adult readers will enjoy the finely-drawn characterization and heart-pounding pacing.
Reviewed by Rebecca Kyle.
February 15, 2010
Tags: family relationships, young adult Posted in: Full Reviews No Comments
Be Very Afraid, Amazon—We’re Here!
I’m thrilled to say that our webstore is finally up and running! You can find it at Creatures ‘n Crooks Books (aka https://creaturesncrooksbooks.theretailerplace.com ) and you can also get to it through the links on the lists of upcoming titles, through the logo over there on the left or through the link on our main website, Creatures ‘n Crooks Bookshoppe.  (Incidentally, yes, we did change our name to Creatures ‘n Crooks Books & Sundries when we closed the storefront but have left the original name on the website. Guess you could call that a tiny bit of denial )
So, a few notes of interest:
1.  While we specialize in mystery, science fiction, fantasy & horror, the platform for our webstore is from one of our wholesalers. That means you have access to over 1,000,000 books, DVDs and music CDs in all categories.
2.  One negative is that you can’t pre-order new releases more than about 6 weeks ahead. That’s because the wholesaler’s experience has been that many people forget they’ve pre-ordered and trouble ensues. They’re thinking about adding a wish list function but, until they do, we’d be happy to do that for you. Just email us at cncbooks3@gmail.com with the titles/authors you’d like to save for the future and we’ll set up a list for you.
3.  You’ll get 20% discount on nearly all hardcovers and audio books and 5% on almost everything else. That means our pricing compares favorably to Amazon.com because, while they sometimes have higher discounts, many items have none.
4.  Shipping by media mail is free for purchases over $25.
5.  If you happen to be local (the Richmond, VA area), you still have the option of ordering directly from us and can pick up your order to avoid shipping costs if under $25. Use the webstore to pick out what you want and then send the list to us.
So, the next time you shop online for books or DVDs or CDs, won’t you give us a try? Â Every order you place with us will help keep an independent bookstore in business and we’ll be ever so appreciative
February 13, 2010
Posted in: Tales of a Bookseller One Comment
Books and TV/Movies
Most of the time, when I see a TV show or movie that’s based on a book, I’ve already read it. Many people have a problem liking the show because it doesn’t meet their expectations from the book. Some will nitpick it to death–when the store was open, it seemed like droves of people had a problem with the first Lord of the Rings movie because something wasn’t exactly right. In some cases, it was fairly major, such as whole storylines being missing or drastically changed; other times, it was ridiculously trivial. At times, I felt sorry that the person clearly couldn’t fully enjoy the show. (I’m not talking about shows that are poorly done; that’s a whole ‘nother story, pun intended.)
Those folks would probably consider me to be completely clueless because I just don’t care that much about the details. If the show is well done, I can enjoy it for itself and look at the book and show as two interpretations of a good story. Granted, lots of these adaptations are really, truly awful, although even some of those can be enjoyable for other reasons, especially the grade-B movies. On the other hand, some are really, truly good. Perfect example—The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver. I loved the book but had serious doubts about the movie, largely because Denzel Washington did not fit my imagined idea of Lincoln Rhyme. Right, wrong or indifferent, I just didn’t see the character as a black man, actually never even thought about his race until the movie talk started.  Still, I was—and am—a huge fan of Denzel (how can you not be?) so off I trotted to the movie. And fell in love. I don’t care a whit about whatever differences exist between the book and the movie; they’re both fabulous and I have re-read the book and re-watched the movie over and over again with enormous pleasure.
Then there are the movies and TV shows based on books that I haven’t read. Sometimes, I like the movie enough that I want to read the book while there are also times that I’m a little afraid to read it because it might “spoil” the movie. Alternatively, the show might be bad enough that I have no incentive to try the book and, considering how much TV shows and movies are usually changed from the books, that’s not exactly fair on my part.   Perhaps I should just read the book without thinking about it first.
Nah, I can’t do that. So, the other night, I watched the pilot of Past Life which is supposedly based on The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose. I say supposedly because even the show’s own website says it’s “inspired” by the book. That’s an honest statement since, as far as I can tell, the only resemblance the book bears to the TV show is that it’s about reincarnation and has something to do with mysteries. The show was OK, not great, and I’ll watch at least one more episode before I decide whether it’s a keeper but it did serve one purpose. I have read a couple of Ms. Rose’s other books but had not checked out this series. Now, I’m interested enough to give it a try.  I’m not exactly in dire need of reading suggestions as my multiple teetering TBR piles can attest but, hey, one can never have too many books waiting to be read, right?
What book have you read because of a movie or TV show?
February 11, 2010
Posted in: Tales of a Bookseller One Comment
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