Arsène Lupin, The Gentleman Burglar by Maurice Leblanc

by Carol2 Comments
4½ stars for the story, 2 stars for the translation Arsène Lupin is simply a fabulous character. He's a thief, but suave and brilliant and a "gentleman." I just wish this translation by Nicolae Sfetcu had been better. The collection includes the first nine stories: 1)   The Arrest of Arsene Lupin 2)   Arsene Lupin in Prison 3)   The Escape of Arsene Lupin 4)   The Mysterious Traveller 5)   The Queen’s Necklace 6)   The Seven of Hearts 7)   Madame Imbert’s Safe 8)   The Black Pearl 9)   Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late Lupin gets arrested, organizes a heist from jail, and escapes from jail. He solves a couple of mysteries, in order to steal the items himself of course and even outwits Holmes. I truly enjoyed the stories. They're fun and light. This particular translation is not well done though. Aside from not being particularly smooth, the pronouns seem to get mixed up a lot - him and her almost become interchangeable, which is more than a little annoying. I could follow the story, and see...
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The Dying Alderman by Henry Wade

by CarolNo Comments
The Dying Alderman is the first mystery I've read by Henry Wade; he's not a writer I'd heard of before, but it looks like most of his are out for Kindle now, so I'll probably pick up more. The Dying Alderman is a well-plotted mystery with characters who are nuanced and believable. There are three cops working the case, Race who is new to the job, Vorley who is steeped in local gossip and prejudices, and Lott, the outsider who can be a bit heavy-handed in his questioning of suspects. Each of the men brings something to the plate. My favorite was Race, but Lott's goading of Vorley is rather amusing at times. Lott and Vorley are focussed on two different suspects and each seems reasonable. Wade does a good job with the police procedural aspect, but doesn't leave us with the impression that police are perfect, instead we know some may have their own agendas that don't necessarily fit with finding the truth. The...
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Death Likes It Hot by Edgar Box

by Carol3 Comments
Death Like It Hot was a fun look at summer in the Hamptons in the 50s, in addition to being a decent mystery. I have to admit I liked Peter Sargeant, even if he was a bit chauvinistic. He was smart and funny and a good observer, an outsider who sees all the quirks and tensions. And the rich and comfortable have a lot of quirks. This is the only one of the three in the series I've read, but it stood on its own well. The mystery was okay. I think the author played fairly, that we knew most of the clues along with Peter. It felt like a standard mystery, which is fine. I like guest house mysteries, whether they be in the Hamptons or the English countryside. I did guess the killer, but only because it was the best option, not because I had it all figured out. The book was bit racier than I would have expected, more so than...
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Thursday’s Tale: The Boy Who Wanted the Willies

by Carol1 Comment
  Today's story comes from Folktales on Stage by Aaron Shepherd. The book is a very nice collection of scripts for children. Some were new to me and others familiar. There are funny stories and tales with a moral lesson. The scripts are clear and appropriate for children. If I worked with a group of kids, whether in school or storytime, I think it would be a nice addition to my shelves. Shepherd based "The Boy Who Wanted the Willies" on a tale by the Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, "The Story of a Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear" but added a lot of changes and embellishments. There was once a boy, Hans, who was never afraid of anything, mostly because he didn't have enough sense to be afraid. One evening Hans and his sister were walking by a graveyard when the sister said the place gave her the willies. Hans asked what the willies were and his sister told him the willies are when...
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Bookburners: Anywhere but Here by Brian Francis Slattery

by Carol2 Comments
So far, Bookburners reminds me of The Librarians tv show - which is a good thing, but it doesn't have the math/literary/science references The Librarians. What it does have is a group of non-magical people very good at what they do who go around the world collecting magical artifacts - like books and bringing them back to a place where they are all collected and safeguarded. Each episode of Bookburners is just that, a self-contained story that forms a part of the overall storyline. "Anywhere but Here" is Sal's first official case. The team heads to Madrid, where another man has opened another book and bad things are happening. Not downright evil - just wrong, and weird, and cool. The descriptions were awesome, and if the storyline itself is not terribly original, I think this particular danger was pretty doggone cool. Sal is fitting in pretty well. I like how she manages to find the parts where this new job is similar...
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Bookburners: Badge, Book, and Candle by Max Gladstone

by Carol2 Comments
"Badge, Book, and Candle" is the first episode in the Bookburners serial. I picked it up mostly because I enjoyed The Witch who Came in from the Cold and wanted to try another. We've got a basic urban fantasy set up - demons trying to break into our world, a main character who just learned magic exists. It's quick-paced, mostly action and little character building but it is the intro to the series. We get right into the action,but I'm sure we'll learn more about the characters as the story continues. Sal is a great character. She's intelligent and loves her brother, faults and all - and that's what draws her into this world. You have to give her credit though, she's tough. I like the serial set up. It's a short read, it kind of wraps up but leaves you wanting to see what happens in the next one. I will say that the descriptions and analogies are well done. It's an enjoyable read. I don't know...
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