Last post for March

I'm torn, really looking forward to our trip but so many good books and I can't finish Angelology before we leave. Where I'll be they only have dial up so even though I'll have my laptop the only thing I can use if for is writing - and that's great. I also have Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest and the next Chase/Wilde book Covenant of Genesis to read on the plane. See you in April.

One book consumed in a single sitting

Read the arc of 'God of the Hive' by Laurie King yesterday. It won't be out until late April at the earliest. This is a follow on from 'The Language of Bees' and rather than being completely narrated by Mary Russell this one switches between her narrative and third person which normally I find very distracting but not in this case and before you ask, no, I don't normally sit down and spend the day reading but yesterday post-dentist-visit it was the only safe option.

Once a Spy by Keith Thomson

Drummond Clark is an old man with early stage Alzheimer's. But Drummond hasn't lost any of his edge as his son Charlie is about to learn, daddy's a retired super spy, a national hero and a fly in the ointment of his protégé’s arms dealing business. When Drummond's apartment is blown up the pair are forced to go on the run and Charlie gets scattered glimpses of his real father, while evading some of Dad's old friends. Thomson delivers a funny, suspenseful, thrill ride that you'll have trouble putting down.

It never rains.....

it pours - last night I came across 'Once a Spy' by Keith Thomson - no arcs but enough copies that I could check it out. We had a chap come in last night who mentioned that TKE is one of the top 8 independent book-stores in the country I'm still digging around for a link to that article.

Good way to spend an 'hour'

Blew through the arc of 'Wrong Number' while waiting the 'hour' my glasses are still taking (don't ask!) Can't wait to read 'God of the Hive' the new Laurie King - apparently the ending is a discussion point. And...I got one of the copies of the UK version of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest but I'm going to try and save that for the plane next weekend.

Club J v Fun

No arcs yet this week, so for bookclub I'm reading 'Let the Great World Spin' by Collum McCan and for fun The Reincarnationist by MJ Rose. Also submitted my first two blurbs direct to Indiebound. I'm running an extra shift tonight so hope to sift through the arcs on my break.

This weeks menu - Chilly, Western and Paranormal for dessert

Finished the Lackberg - talk about putting ice in your veins - I hope they translate her other books as well. Not a pulse pounding thriller but very atmospheric and the ending didn't disappoint. Next up is the new CJ Box and one called Illyria by Elisabeth Hand.

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag, Alan Bradley

Flavia de Luce, Bradley’s pint sized sleuth is back and her new case has strings attached. Porson’s Puppets have come to town, their van broke down but the Vicar is always one to take advantage so Rupert Porson and his lovely assistant Nialla are co-erced into putting on a show for the inhabitants of Bishops Lacey and Flavia is drafted by the Vicar to help out.

During the show there’s an electrifying murder witnessed by the entire town, including Inspector Hewitt. Flavia is determined to help the Inspector solve the crime and there are a myriad of suspects and motives along with a shoal of red herrings. Ex assistants, pregnant lovers, a vengeful Vicar’s wife, land girls, and a former POW who is courting Flavia’s sister. Flavia continues to tread the fine line between supersleuth and budding criminal mastermind with ease.

The Spellmans Strike Again, Lisa Lutz

The fourth – and final – installment finds Izzy still working for Spellman investigations, still with ex-boyfriend #12 and still getting into all sorts of trouble – in the name of justice of course. Her cases are piling up, garbology, a possible long con, lost Wednesdays, missing items from Spellman HQ, Rae’s fake boyfriend Logan Eagle, Darius Merriwether and if that isn’t enough on Izzy’s plate, mommie dearest, Olivia is blackmailing her into 1 lawyer date a week. There’s also a pregnancy to be kept quiet, 2 marriages, a death, several incarcerations and some cringe worthy Spellman Sunday dinners. Life with this dysfunctional family of private eyes is anything but boring.

Nothing lost in translation

I'm currently reading the arc of The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg, a Swedish author. Lackberg is huge in Sweden but this is the first time they've translated one of her books into English. It's about a writer who finds herself investigating the death of a childhood friend. Two things drew me to it, one - the cover (yeah I know, covers) Second and most important the publisher decided to use Steig Larsson's translator.

Update 4/21 - the translators are not the same but Ice Princess is still great.