Book Review: Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

Last Rituals
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir; translated from Icelandic by Bernard Scudder
HarperCollins, 2007
Originally published in Iceland by Veröld Publishing
ISBN 9780061143373
Trade Paperback.
Matthew beat Thóra to the photograph. He looked at it without a flicker of emotion, then handed it to her. “It’s quite disgusting,†he said as she took it.

“Disgusting†was not a strong enough word [...]

June 19, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Guest Reviews  No Comments

Book Review: The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley

The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag
Alan Bradley
Read by Jayne Entwistle
Random House Audio, March 2010
ISBN 0307576418
Unabridged Audio Book
Flavia de Luce, an eleven-year-old with a near-genius mind, apparently has way too much time, and too much curiosity, for a child who is benignly neglected by her father and ignored, at best, by her disdainful and tormenting [...]

May 17, 2010  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: My Reviews  No Comments

Book Review: The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King

The God of the Hive
Laurie R. King
Bantam, April 2010
ISBN 0553805541
Hardcover
If you think that Moriarty is the only truly evil villain that Holmes dealt with, think again.  There is a shadowy man pulling strings all over England and in portions of Europe, strings strong enough to get Mycroft Holmes hauled off to gaol.  Strong enough to [...]

May 1, 2010  Tags: ,   Posted in: Full Reviews  No Comments

Choose-Your-Own Niche Cozy Recipe

A guide to writing cozy mysteries—reprinted from DorothyL with permission from the author, Suzanne Fleischauer.  Thanks for a great laugh, Suzanne!

DO-IT-YOURSELF COZY
Instructions:  Choose one (or more, it doesn’t really matter) from each set of {bracketed} choices.
Our heroine, {Amanda/ Nutmeg/ Kate/ Margaret Mary/ Monongahela} Tyler, an attractive and spunky [Warning: these attributes are compulsory [...]

April 29, 2010  Tags: ,   Posted in: Tales of a Bookseller  4 Comments

Book Review: The Affinity Bridge: A Newbury & Hobbes Investigation by George Mann

The Affinity Bridge: A Newbury & Hobbes Investigation
George Mann
Tor Books, 2009
ISBN 0765323206
Hardcover
The Affinity Bridge is a mystery set in a steampunk version of Victorian London.  Airships, steam-driven cabs, and clockwork automatons are transforming society.  Queen Victoria is kept alive on a primitive life-support system.  London is experiencing a plague that [...]

April 28, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Full Reviews  No Comments

Book Review: Old Maid’s Puzzle by Terri Thayer

Old Maid’s Puzzle (Quilting Mysteries #2)
Terri Thayer
Midnight Ink, 2008
ISBN 0738712183
Trade Paperback
I admit it – I’m a fabric junkie and a quilting addict. I don’t know how it happened, nor do I know if it was a subtle or quick transformation. All I know is that I have vague memories of being normal and then the [...]

April 26, 2010  Tags: ,   Posted in: Full Reviews  4 Comments

Book Review: From the Grounds Up by Sandra Balzo

From the Grounds Up
Sandra Balzo
Severn House Publishers, March 2010
ISBN 9780727868305
Hardcover
Maggy Thorsen is looking at possible buildings for her coffeehouse, Uncommon Grounds.  She has to reopen after a freak storm takes out the old building.  Nothing suits her, and the reasons all make good business sense.  Her realtor Sarah Kingston is getting frustrated.  Or perhaps it’s [...]

April 24, 2010  Tags:   Posted in: Full Reviews  No Comments

Book Review: Gator a-go-go by Tim Dorsey

Gator a-go-go
Tim Dorsey
William Morrow & Company, February 2010
ISBN 0061432717
Hardcover
I have never read Tim Dorsey before and I think that was a mistake in this case. One of my good book friends has always told me that I should start with a new author’s first book and usually I follow her advice. This time I did [...]

April 17, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Full Reviews  No Comments

Book Review: Vienna Secrets by Frank Tallis

Vienna Secrets
Frank Tallis
Random House, February 2010
ISBN 9780812980998
Trade Paperback
Dr. Max Liebermann is living in Vienna, attending the lectures of Dr. Freud and seeing patients.  He has concerns about his relationship with one of his patients, a woman after whom he lusts but feels compelled not to pursue.  It’s not just the problem of a doctor and [...]

April 10, 2010  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Full Reviews  No Comments

Book Review: Bits and Pieces by Annette Mahon

Bits and Pieces
Annette Mahon
Five Star, January 2010
ISBN 1594148457
Hardcover
I have the latest in sewing equipment, including machines that embroider and quilt, so when I see a book that combines my favorite hobbies of reading and sewing, I’m all over it !  Bits and Pieces may be a stretch for me, since quilting for me is an [...]

April 8, 2010  Tags: ,   Posted in: Full Reviews  No Comments