Light Thickens by Ngaio Marsh

by Carol9 Comments
This was Marsh's last book and it seems appropriate that she returns to the theater as her backdrop. We know her as a mystery writer, but probably her great passion was the theater, and it shows. The real strength in this story is the play production. The murder actually doesn't take place until may two-thirds through the book with Alleyn only entering the story then. The play is Macbeth and the director is making it a memorable performance. The characters are wonderful, some maybe stereotypical, gabby and egotistical and "actory." But they all manage to work together. Apparently there are a lot of superstitions revolving aroung Macbeth and the story plays off them well, with some believers and some clearly not. I enjoyed seeing how they did scenes and practiced fights, witnessing the bickering and wooing. Alleyn is not a detective who lets us in on every little clue he sees, but he does pay attention to everyone, even children. He's a gentleman...
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Things Half in Shadow by Alan Finn

by Carol6 Comments
I love a good historical mystery and this one was really well done. There are so many things I liked about it. The supernatural elements were not over the top, they fit in well with the whole mood of the era. The fictional characters rub shoulders with real historical figures, which is always fun. There's an attraction between Edward and Lucy, but it doesn't overwhelm the plot, it adds a nice little spark to their interactions. The story keeps moving well, and the reasons Edward and Lucy have for investigating Mrs. Pastor's death are reasonable. Sometimes amateur detectives' motives seem forced. Here, yes the police are investigating, but Lucy's a suspect, in part because of a secret in her past, and Edward is jobless until the situation is cleared up. They feel they don't have time to sit around and wait for the cops. As partners, they work together well most of the time, even though they don't always trust each other. I...
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The Cairo Affair by Olen Steinhauer

by Carol5 Comments
It's been a while since I've read a good espionage book. I've read a couple of barely mediocre ones, but that's beside the point. My library had The Cairo Affair available on audio and the title rang a bell, so I borrowed. Turned out that was a really good choice. It's nice to start of the new year with a winner. The story is told through several viewpoints, but it was always clear whose eyes we were seeing situations through. It was interesting, although not surprising, how much the same event could vary from viewpoint to viewpoint. The characters were all real, there were not over the top superagents, no too good to be true loyalists, no overly intelligent office worker able to predict everything. They are all doing the best they can given their abilities, limited knowledge and resources. Okay, maybe "the best" is not quite true, because we do have people willing to kill, to betray their country and...
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Pros & Cons by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

by Carol4 Comments
I picked up this short prequel to the Fox and O'Hare series just because I wanted something to listen to. It's a quick early meeting between Kate and Nick. Nick has an audacious plan, and Kate right behind him. It's a good introduction to the two if you haven't met them before. If you read the series, as I have, it's still fun. It's a similar formula to the books but Kate is still quite clearly on the opposite side as Fox. Or maybe it's Fox who's clearly on the opposite side. You get a feel for her determinedness and intelligence. You get to see his style and imagination. And of course you get to see a bit of the attraction between them. It's a good short read. Scott Brick is the narrator and as always he makes it a light-hearted adventure. The characters are over the top and he somehow straddles the line between telling the story with a straight...
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Thursday’s Tale: Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve? by Jan Brett

by Carol2 Comments
I know it's only Wednesday, but this tale is just perfect for today, and with tomorrow being Christmas, I doubt many people will be online, including me. I've mentioned before that when I was kid we had a wonderful book of troll stories, Favorite Tales of Monsters and Trolls written by George Jonson and illustrated by John O’Brien. One of the stories in that books is a retelling of "The Cat on the Doverfjell” from East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon. Jan Brett has down a marvelous retelling of that same story in Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? A boy is taking his polar bear to Oslo, but he is cold and hungry so stops at a cabin. Kyri has been left alone in the hut to prepare the Christmas Eve meal while her father has gone up into the mountains to watch for trolls. In past years, the trolls have come down, broke into the house, and devoured...
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Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

by Carol7 Comments
I kinda wished I hadn't wasted an Audible credit on Simply Irresistable. It was okay, but I could have just put a hold on it at the library and waited. It wasn't worth "I need it"-ness of a credit. I was in the mood for a Christmas romance and it did fit the bill. I haven't read anything by Shalvis before, but her name comes up often enough that I felt pretty safe. Really the book had a lot of things I like, besides the nice coastal town setting and the Christmas season. Maddie and Jax are both good, nice people. Yes, she has trouble trusting, which is understandable, but she' trying to reinvent herself. Yes, Jax keeps some crucial information from her, but he doesn't have a choice, really. Maddie's sisters are great characters, both of whom I'm assuming will get their own love stories later in the series. I enjoyed the dynamics between the three of them. I like how everyone in the...
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