Month: December 2021 Page 3 of 6

Saturday Miscellany—12/18/21

On December 18, 2021

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

We’re nearing the end of the year, which means a couple of things for these posts: almost no new releases on the horizon and lots of year-end Best-Of lists. Which I’ll now demonstrate:

Odds n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet ‘Interview with a Vampire’ Author Anne Rice Dies at Age 80—I’m not a Rice fan, but it’s more-than-easy to see the giant impact she had on fiction. I read Interview back in college and loved it. At the same time, I didn’t think I needed to read another work by her.
bullet Yanking Books From School Libraries: What the Supreme Court Has Said, and Why It’s Murky—I don’t see my shutting up about this any time soon…
bullet So my Saturday night was ruined last week when I saw Ace Atkins’ tweet about next month’s Spenser being his last. I’ll probably say something in a couple of days about this, but in the meantime:
bullet Publisher’s Weekly tweeted some details about the next Parker series novels.
bullet Blogger/Parker aficionado Gerald So posted a professional take on the news and a personal one.
bullet What’s So Great About Great-Books Courses?—Some thoughts about the state of humanities in universities. (I’ve always wanted to take one a Great Books course)
bullet I’ve put this off as long as I could, but it’s time to start looking at Best Of lists…
bullet I’m not sure that David Rosenfelt’s list was all that impartial. But it was probably the most enjoyable to read.
bullet Over at FanFiAddict, Lord TBR’s Top Reads of 2021 could easily occupy my first quarter of 2022
bullet Kevin Burton Smith‘s list is pretty impressive, too.
bullet The Best Crime Novels of 2021 from Crime Reads
bullet My Top 10 Reads of 2021!from Out of This World SFF
bullet It was the penultimate week for The #R3COMM3ND3D2021 series over at Damp Pebbles. The posts over the last week were:
bullet Book Blogger Catherine Friess
bullet BookBlogger Eva
bullet Book Blogger Ally
bullet Author Jon Ford
bullet BookBlogger Richard Fernandez
bullet Book Blogger Julie Morris
bullet How Many Books Make a Book Blogger?—I didn’t realize this was a thing, but now that I’ve read this, I can see it. Like so many “you have to do X to be Y” in fandoms, the notion that you have to have a number of physical books to qualify is pretty silly. And I say that as someone who’s waiting for his youngest to move out so I can have more room for my collection…

Lastly I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to sang, who followed the blog this week. Please don’t be a stranger!

Pure by Jo Perry: A Murder Mystery and So Much More

By HCNewton

On December 17, 2021

In Fiction, Jo Perry, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Pure

by Jo Perry

Paperback, 289 pg.
Fahrenheit Press, 2021

Read: October 6, 2021

Doctor Christiansen waited a moment after the final shudder and wheeze. “She’s gone,” he said and to make sure I understood, and added, “I and everyone here at Sunny Morning Elder Care Living are deeply sorry for your loss.”

Well, my aunt wasn’t “gone.” She was right there, her small, cold hand in mine.”

What’s Pure About?

Ascher Lieb, arrives at her dying aunt’s bedside too late to say goodbye, she’s not going to wake up again. But she’s present when they turn off the ventilator keeping her lungs working. Ascher returns to her aunt’s apartment to check on her dog and go through her belongings just in time for the facility to be quarantined with her in it.

This is the early days of COVID-19 in Los Angeles, and no one is playing around. Ascher has to present herself twice daily for temperature/symptom checks, where she’s given some food to supplement the groceries her aunt had left behind—which Ascher supplements, in turn by frequent use of delivery apps. With most of the U.S. now out of lockdown—or anything resembling it—it might be hard to remember the early days—sanitizing everything, masks, gloves, shutting yourself away from everyone you can. A lonely, isolating, claustrophobic existence—made the worse for Ascher as she’s alone in someone else’s house with few of her own possessions, just a dog who doesn’t understand why his owner isn’t coming home.

And I’m going on far too long—how do I summarize this? Gross over-simplification:
Ascher volunteers briefly at a Jewish Burial Society. She’s convinced there’s something suspicious about the death of one of the people she attends to. Driven by impulses and emotions she’s not sure she can identify, Ascher seeks to discover this woman’s identity and learn what caused her death.

Ascher also has to come to terms with her aunt’s death (which opens a can of worms about other deaths in her family, too), dodge the officials at her aunt’s facility while she’s breaking quarantine, try to hew close to COVID restrictions, deal with a bunch of personal issues arising from her being quarantined away from her apartment/roommate, cope with the dumpster fire that was 2020, and…there’s a possible (probable?) supernatural element, too. That sounds like a lot going on—and it is—but it never feels that way. At least for the reader—Ascher feels it.

“Everything Else”

The mystery at the core of this novel is a pretty good one—and Ascher’s not a sleuth by any means, her attempts at being an amateur sleuth are as amateur as they come. It’s worth reading Pure for this aspect alone.

But for me, it was the least interesting part of the novel. Everything else going on (except maybe the stuff with her roommate) was much more interesting and worthy of reflection. For one: Ascher’s reaction to death—her aunt’s and others—have shaped her more than she realizes. Her coming to grips with it, her seeing how death has affected important choices she’s made throughout her life—and seeing what she does with these realizations? That’s what separates Pure from other mystery novels.

So, what did I think about Pure?

This is a great novel, an immersive read—I had a hard time putting the book down, and a harder time not thinking about it when I had put it down. And I was on vacation when I read this—I had plenty of things to do, see and think about when I wasn’t reading. If I only had routine day-to-day things to think about, I’m not sure I’d have been able to focus on work/home life instead of the book.

The characters who aren’t Ascher are interesting enough—and there’s a couple I can think of that I would’ve liked to spend more time with. But that’s not possible in this book—Spring of 2020 was not a time to meet people and spend a lot of time with them. But your appreciation for this book is going to come down to what you think of Ascher and her actions.

This is a mystery novel about something—it’s more than a whodunit (assuming there was something for a “who” to have “dun”). It, like pretty much everything Perry writes, is about death and how we deal with it as humans (and one neurotic Mini-Pinscher). THere’s more to chew on, too, but that’d be telling…

It’s trite to say “this moved me.” But it did, and I can’t think of a better way to phrase it, so trite it is. Pure is the best thing I’ve read by Perry—it’s not the most entertaining, but it’s the best, and will likely stay with me in more detail than the rest. You won’t be sorry if you pick this up. You may regret not doing so. So, why take the chance?

4 Stars

The Friday 56 for 12/17/21: Risen by Benedict Jacka

By HCNewton

On December 17, 2021

In Currently Reading, News/Misc., Quotations, The Friday 56

This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
Find a snippet, short and sweet.
Post it

from Page 56 of:
Risen

Risen by Benedict Jacka

“Verus,” he said, crossing the path to meet me.

I nodded.

Talisid glanced at the long sightlines around us, the Greenway stretching in both directions with the Olympic Stadium – to one side and the view over London to the other, “A little exposed.”

“Hiding isn’t really an option for me these days,” I said. “How can help you?”

Our relationship had changed, and I could feel it in the way Talisid addressed me. For all the years I’d been meeting like this with Talisid, he’d always been the more powerful. He’d never used if to threaten me; he was too courteous for that, in his well-bred way. But always, in our dealings, Talisid had been the one to set the terms. Not anymore.

Book Blogger Hop: How Many Books in 2021?

By HCNewton

On December 17, 2021

In Book Blogger Hop, Books, News/Misc.

Book Blogger Hop

This prompt was submitted by Elizabeteh @ Silver’s Reviews:

How many books have you read this year?

Well, as of last night, I’ve read and/or listened to…

290

books in 2021 but I’ve got another 15 days, so I’ll probably work in a few more.

What about you?

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem (Audiobook) by Kliph Nesteroff: One of Those Books You Didn’t Know was Needed Until You Read It

By HCNewton

On December 16, 2021

In Audiobook, Humor, Non-Fiction

We Had a Little Real Estate Problem:
The Unheralded Story of
Native Americans and Comedy

by Kliph Nesteroff

Unabridged Audiobook, 9 hrs., 34 min.
Simon & Schuster Audio, 2021

Read: December 8-9, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s We Had a Little Real Estate Problem About?

This book sketches a broad history—roughly from the end of the 19th Century to the present—of Native Americans in comedy. He starts with things like wild west shows and circuses—where people like P. T. Barnum presented “authentic Indian” practices, but would define what was authentic for the people who’d do the performing, and would punish them if they did anything actually authentic. So right away, you know this is going to be a feel-good story.

In the early days of Movies and TV, it’s not much better for most—Indians were stereotyped and usually played by Whites. Sure, you’d get occasional people like Will Rogers as the exception. Nesteroff chronicles the struggles for representation from then up to “Iron Eyes” Cody (and beyond, I’m sure).

Then he sketches out the bright spots for Native Americans in the contemporary comedy scene, from stand-up to theater to TV writing. Nesteroff spent a lot of time on Charlie Hill’s life, career, and legacy—who made a lot of the contemporary advances possible. Frankly, he could’ve spent more time on it and kept me interested (although what he gave was sufficient). His interactions with Richard Pryor was fascinating.

Interspersed with the history are brief profiles of individual comedians/teams and their careers. So it’s not just a history of the industry, but we get spotlights on individuals, too. They were definitely the highlights of the book for me.

How Funny Was It?

Nesteroff kept the narration restrained—he’s a stand-up, so I’m sure his instincts were to perform (at least) a bit more than he did. But he read it the same way you’d read a book about productivity. I’d think that would be particularly difficult when he read a transcript or script from a comedy piece/interview. But even then—the material shone through and I found myself audibly chuckling frequently. Funny stuff is funny (would’ve been funnier in the original, I’m sure, but getting permissions necessary to do that would’ve made this audiobook too expensive to produce)

So, what did I think about We Had a Little Real Estate Problem?

I heard Marc Maron talk about this book a little on his podcast (but I haven’t gotten around to any of the episodes with the author), and it seemed like it’d be up my alley. I love hearing about the business of comedy and the people that are behind it. Focusing on this one story? Sounded like a great idea. And I think Nesteroff pulled it off.

I guess I would think as a history, it’s probably incomplete—but I’m not sure how you can do a comprehensive history of something like this.

I think the central premise of this—media depictions of Native Americans makes them conform too much to a stolid, serious, stoic type—or a tragic one. It’s hard to believe that encompasses any culture—much less the great number of Native American cultures in North America. To promote understanding between cultures in the US and Canada, we ought to see all aspects of them.

The profiles—either brief or extended (like Charlie Hill and Will Rogers)—were interesting enough to make me go check out samples (and sometimes more) of the work. The overall narrative was interesting and optimistic.

I think the book worked—if you’re at all interested in the behind-the-scenes of comedy, about those who make the movies/shows/stand-up you enjoy, you’ll probably think so, too.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Leaving the LAW by Robert Germaux: Looking at JB’s Past as He Tries to Save a Kid’s Future

By HCNewton

On December 16, 2021

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Leaving the LAW

by Robert Germaux
Series: Jeremy Barnes, #4 (Chronologically #2)

Kindle Edition, 208 pg.
2021

Read: November 25-26, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

As I drove away from the center, I thought about Asaan and Anthony and Franklin High School and the gangs. And scones. Food is never far from my mind, and I didn’t have anything else to do at the moment, so I drove home and parked the Camry in my driveway and walked to Starbucks. I can think and eat at the same time, a skill that I have demonstrated on numerous occasions. No need not to do so again.

What’s Leaving the LAW About?

Before Jeremy Barnes became a P.I., he was a teacher—a dedicated and idealistic one. Which is largely why he left the profession. The American education system is not a place for idealists. One student that he made an impact on comes back into his life fifteen years later.

Laretta Warren is now a single mother, doing her best. Laretta’s son, Anthony, is in a gang and is in real danger of legal problems if he doesn’t change direction. He’s also in real danger period. Laretta remembered how JB inspired her to keep going—now she wants him to inspire her son to get out of the gang and get on a better path.

JB has no illusions that he’s going to be able to make any difference. But he remembers Laretta’s spirit. He respects that, he wants to honor her wishes, and do what he can for her. Even if it’s to take on a Quixotic task.

While he tries to talk Anthony into wanting to leave, he knows it’ll take more than gaining his trust and then convincing him. So he sets out to gain leverage against the leader of the gang. As difficult as it will be to get Anthony to want to leave, that’s simpler than getting him out. He also needs to understand the gangs better—the landscape has changed a lot in the years since he taught high school.

This leads him to reconnect with the school’s Vice Principal, and his friends in the police department connect him with the officer who’ll be the most helpful—both the V.P. and police lead him to a community activist who is instrumental in keeping the peace between rival gangs in the area. JB learns a good deal about them and the way the leadership thinks—now, will it be enough?

JB and Laura

So, if you read this in order of publication, you already know where the relationship between JB and Laura is going—if you’re reading this chronologically, you met her in the previous book, and have a pretty good idea where it’s going.

Either way, their relationship is beyond the establishment stage, but they’re still figuring themselves out as a unit. One of the biggest things for Laura to reckon with is the violence that JB occasionally runs into. Is she prepared to deal with the stress and worry? Is it worth it? She’s still working her way through that—and it should take a little while.

Laura doesn’t often remind me of Susan Silverman (unlike JB, who constantly reminds me of Spenser), but she really does sound like her as she works her way through the danger inherent in JB’s work with Anthony. For what it’s worth, I think Laura deals with it a little better than Susan does early on, but it’s obviously a struggle for her.

So, what did I think about Leaving the LAW?

Once again, Germaux has delivered a thoroughly entertaining PI novel. Spending time in a Germaux novel (Jeremy Barnes or Daniel Hays) is a guaranteed good time with characters you can’t help but like.

I enjoyed getting more of a glimpse into JB”s past than we’ve gotten before—and the way he reacts to Laretta (both as he remembers her and as he observes her) is exactly how you want a teacher to respond to a student. It just makes a PI you already were invested in and was rooting for all the more likable.

I halfway expected the final reveal—but that didn’t stop it from being effective, it just made the most dramatic sense. I’d much rather a scene to be justified and successful than an out-of-blue surprise, anyway. Germaux satisfied that preference while delivering what I expected with a motivation that I didn’t expect.

I had a lot of fun with this book—good characters and prose that’s just smooth and easy reading. I’m about done with Germaux’s detective fiction—while I’m all for being a completionist, I’m not crazy about crossing that last one off my list. Thankfully, I have a few other books by him to get to.

3.5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

WWW Wednesday, December 15, 2021

By HCNewton

On December 15, 2021

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

I’ve been feeling super-productive this week, at least in a quantity-over-quality way. I don’t get weeks like this very often, so I’m trying to take full advantage of it (and need to remember it will end, so I don’t get too annoyed with myself when it does). This week’s WWW Wednesday shows that the Down the TBR posts (and my reading challenges for the year) are helping—you’ll see more of that next week, too.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading (finally—and, yes, the disciplinary paperwork has been sent to HR) Risen by Benedict Jacka, and Jacka is holding nothing back for this end to the series. I’m also listening to A Private Investigation by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator) on audiobook, which is sort of a series end, but thankfully isn’t.

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished the grin-inducing Cherie Priest’s Grave Reservations and the impressive A Christmas Carol: A Signature Performance by Tim Curry on audio.

Blank Space

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be A Dream About Lightning Bugs: A Life of Music and Cheap Lessons by Ben Folds and my next audiobook should be Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives by Tim Hartford, Nicholas Guy Smith (Narrator). Ooh, two non-fiction works at the same time, I don’t do that often.

Blank Space

What have you been up to lately?

Down the TBR Hole Revisited (1 of 3)

By HCNewton

On December 15, 2021

In Books, Down the TBR Hole, News/Misc.

Down the TBR Hole Revisited

When I wrapped things up back in May, I’d trimmed the Want-to-Read list down to 132, and it’s at 154 right now. That’s not bad—I read a couple from the list, added a few more. But, in keeping with the aim of this project, let’s see if I can trim a little fat to go into the New Year not needing a diet. I didn’t quite get to too many from this list in the ensuing months…which does make me wonder (again) about the efficacy of this list. But that’s for another time—or maybe a therapist.

This meme was created by Lia @ Lost in a Story—but Jenna at Bookmark Your Thoughts is the one that exposed me to this, and as my Goodreads “Want To Read” shelf is scarily long, I had to do this.

The Rules are simple:

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf
Order on ascending date added.
Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books.
Read the synopses of the books.
Decide: keep it or should it go?
Keep track of where you left off so you can pick up there next week! (or whenever)

What distinguishes this series from the Mt. TBR section of my Month-end Retrospectives? Those are books I actually own while Goodreads contains my aspirational TBR (many of which will be Library reads). The Naming of the two is a bit confusing, but…what’re you going to do?

(Click on the cover for an official site or something with more info about the book)

	Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives by Tim Harford Blurb: “celebrates the benefits that messiness has in our lives: why it’s important, why we resist it, and why we should embrace it instead. Using research from neuroscience, psychology, social science, as well as tales of inspiring people doing extraordinary things, I explain that the human qualities we value – creativity, responsiveness, resilience – are integral to the disorder, confusion, and disarray that produce them.” My Thoughts: Oh sweet—a justification for my lifestyle! Gotta get this as ammunition to use against my wife. Verdict:
	My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows Blurb: Mary, Queen of Scots, in the court of France, trying to hide that she shapeshifts into mice. My Thoughts: So they’ve run out of Janes and have turned to Marys? Huh. Sure, why not? Verdict:
	Darling at the Campsite by Andy Abramowitz Blurb: “Rowan Darling, an adrift thirty-three-year-old, owns a record store on a run-down block in Philadelphia. Then news of his estranged brother’s death forces a return to Maybee, Illinois, the hometown Rowan left in the dust years ago. Rowan’s plan? Dart in for the funeral, support his mother, then disappear just as quickly. Things to avoid? Margot Beckett, his childhood sweetheart, and Skid Hall, his former best friend who stole Margot and married her. Together, they’ve become the town’s ‘it’ couple.” My Thoughts: It’s Andy Abramowitz, I’ll likely enjoy it. But first I’ll leave it on the Want-to-Read list until his next book comes out… Verdict:
	Questland by Carrie Vaughn Blurb: Jurassic Park but instead of cloned Dinosaurs, it’s “a convincing, high-tech-powered fantasy-world experience, complete with dragons, unicorns, and, yes, magic.” My Thoughts: I have the paperback sitting on my TBR shelf about 2 feet from me. Just need to get around to it. Verdict:
	Swashbucklers by Dan Hanks Blurb: “When Cisco Collins returns to his home town thirty years after saving it from being swallowed by a hell mouth opened by an ancient pirate ghost, he realises that being a childhood hero isn’t like it was in the movies. Especially when nobody remembers the heroic bits – even the friends who once fought alongside him.” Verdict: I really like the sound of this. I actually thought I bought it already.
	The 13th Witch by Mark Hayden Blurb: “Odin has a challenge for Conrad: sign up to protect England from wild magick and get a commission in the King’s Watch…Conrad never could resist a challenge. Before you can say “Ragnarok”, he’s plunged into a world of gods, mages, witches, dwarves and one very aggressive giant mole….Armed with nothing but a sense of humour and a willingness to cheat, Conrad has to find the Witch and save his life.” Verdict:
	Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest Blurb: A travel agent who’s an inconsistent psychic saves the life of a Seattle PD Detective. Desperate for a break in a cold case, he hires her to consult on it. Verdict: By the time this posts, I’ll be done with the book, so, yeah, cut this from the list.
	Faycalibur by Liam Perrin Blurb: “When five armies attack England, everyone on the Round Table is too busy to track down the missing court wizard. Seizing the opportunity to shine a light on the Less Valued, Thomas vows to rescue Merlin and sets himself on a collision course with a talented but overconfident rookie sorceress, a lizard with delusions of grandeur, and one rather unfortunate pigeon.” My Thoughts: The first book in the series was nice, I want to see him go on. There was an optimistic sweetness to it, and want to see Perrin try it again. Verdict:
	Ghost of a Chance by Dan Willis My Thoughts: I’d expected to get through book 3 by this point in the year, which obviously didn’t happen. Still, that means book 2 needs to stay on the list. Verdict:
	Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson Blurb: “Miss Mildred Percy is a spinster. She does not dance, she has long stopped dreaming, and she certainly does not have adventures. That is, until her great uncle has the audacity to leave her an inheritance, one that includes a dragon’s egg. The egg – as eggs are wont to do—decides to hatch, and Miss Mildred Percy is suddenly thrust out of the role of ‘spinster and general wallflower’ and into the unprecedented position of ‘spinster and keeper of dragons.’” My Thoughts: I can tell from the description that this is going to be something I love or I’ll be turned off within 50 pages…I’m on the border with it. I don’t know that I’m going to end up reading this, but I want to keep it on my radar for a little bit longer. Verdict:

Books Removed in this Post: 1 / 10
Total Books Removed: 1 / 33
Current Want-to-Read Shelf Total: 153

Anyone out there read any of these books? Did I make the right call with any of them?

(Image by moritz320 from Pixabay)

Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest: Move Over Shawn and Gus, It’s Time for the Real Deal

By HCNewton

On December 15, 2021

In Cherie Priest, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Grave Reservations

by Cherie Priest
Series: Booking Agents Series, #1

Hardcover, 289 pg.
Atria Books, 2021

Read: December 10-13
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“I’m not looking for a séance, Ms. Foley. I’m just telling you that I know there’s more to the world than what we can always see right in front of us. And I believe you when you tell me that you had a premonition, or a bad feeling, or a bad certainty—if that’s more like it. I believe you saved my life. Saved me a hell of a story and some smoke inhalation, that’s for damn sure. And now I want to hire you. Not to book any travel, and not to talk to my dead mother. I’ve got a case I’ve been beating my head against for a couple of years, and I’m all out of leads. I’m ready to try anything, which means I’m willing to try a psychic, Ms. Foley, I want you to help me solve a murder.”

What’s Grave Reservations About?

It’s pretty much about that quotation—Leda Foley is a travel agent* and self-described “inconsistent psychic.” Her intuition (or whatever you want to call it) leads her into changing the flight of a Seattle PD detective which prevents him from ending up in a plane that skidded off the runway during takeoff. Now he’s back in Seattle, grateful, and wants to use Leda to help him get a break on a cold case. Det. Grady isn’t that convinced this is going to work (Leda’s sure it won’t), but he doesn’t know what else to try.

* I’m as surprised as you to learn they still exist.

She agrees—not just because her agency is struggling and she needs pretty much any money she can earn, but because she wants to get on Det. Grady’s good side, because she wants his help on a cold case of her own—her fiancé was murdered and the police got nowhere with that investigation.

So, Leda, her bartender best friend, and Detective Gracy set out to see if her psychic abilities are at least a little more consistent than she thinks.

Leda’s Other Side Hustle

Leda’s had a large number of day jobs, none of which worked out for long. Her travel agency, Foley’s Far-Fetched Flights of Fancy, is an effort to make it on her own—and it’s pretty shaky. Leda also wants to strengthen and improve her psychic skills, so she gets on stage at a local bar for what she calls klairvoyant karaoke, but the bar’s owner prefers calling her a psychic psongstress.

Basically, she gets on stage, holds an object given to her by an audience member, and uses the impressions her abilities give her about the owner to sing a song that will be meaningful to the owner. In exchange, she gets free drinks. She’s gaining a little notoriety from this and the bar is having its most successful nights ever.

Tricky Tonal Balancing Act

This is not your typical murder mystery, that’s probably pretty clear. In her acknowledgments, Priest says she was aiming at “something lighter and funnier than my usual fare.” She hit what she aimed for. It’s comedic (sometimes very comedic), but not at a goofball level. It’s closer to Castle at its best. Or to stick to novel comparisons, think The Spellman Files (especially the slightly more serious last couple), Max Wirestone’s Dahlia Moss books or David Ahern’s Madam Tulip books. The latter is the best comparison (not just because Leda’s psychic abilities made me think of Derry more than a few times), but Leda’s friends remind me of Derry’s—but I threw in the others because too few people know anything about Madam Tulip.

Back to Grave Reservations—Priest walks the tightrope between too silly for a mystery and too serious for a story about a travel agent/inconsistent psychic–—which cannot be anywhere as easy as she makes it look. With all of the above comparisons, I occasionally wasn’t sure about the consistency of the tone (or the appropriateness of it when the creators weren’t on the top of their game). Priest didn’t have that problem at all. Which is a tribute to her skill.

So, what did I think about Grave Reservations?

I don’t have a lot to say here–it’s really good. Priest surrounds Leda and Det. Grady with a bunch of characters that bring the comedy on the personal side and suspects, victims, and witnesses that keep the serious side of the story working. Either set of characters make this a fun read—put them together and you have something special.

The mystery itself was pretty good—and having Leda’s abilities providing the leaps of logic that allow Grady to start looking in the right places is a great idea. Priest doesn’t have to “play fair” like most mystery novelists and she can just wave the Psychic ex Machina wand to get her out of tricky places.

Grave Reservations is a great bit of light escapist reading—and the way Priest set it up for a series suggests that we’ll be able to escape into this world for a little while longer. And we all could use something like that right now, can’t we?

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Top 5 Tuesday – Top 5 covers of 2021

By HCNewton

On December 14, 2021

In Books, News/Misc.

What are some of your favorite covers that you have seen this year? Maybe these were reprints, redesigns, or alternate covers that came out this year, or maybe they are brand new books. Whatever they are, tell us all the pretties you have been coveting.

A good number of the covers that I’d put down as candidates ended up being from 2020 once I started putting this list together, which doesn’t say wonderful things about my memory. I really, really wish that there were listings available for the brains and hands behind these designs so I could credit them, because they really deserve a round of applause.

	The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter by Aaron Reynolds There are any number of things I liked about this cover–it’s a little creepy, it’s screams goofy and playful, and it grabs your eye. It’s a perfect fit for the book. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book behind the cover, click here.
	Pug Actually by Matt Dunn I came close to doing an increasingly brand-specific Best Covers featuring Dogs of 2020, but I’d have had to cut some dog photos, and I’m not strong enough for that. So, we’ll just go with this attention-grabbing cover. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book behind the cover, click here.
	Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry I think I actually mentioned in my review-ish post about the book that I love this cover–it looks worn, beaten up, well-used and yet attractive. Which ties in to how Perry describes the believer’s holiness. Clever people involved in that. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book behind the cover, click here.
	The Case of the Missing Firefly by Chris McDonald I’ve done cover reveals for most of this series over the last year, and they’re all just great. I hemmed and hawed over which one to use, but I think the colors on this one put it over the top. Eye of the beholder and all that, but those colors just grab me. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book behind the cover, click here.
	Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir: Inspired by True Events by Brent Spiner So you’ve got the Data thing, you’ve got a real “clipping words/images out of magazines” stalker-vibe, colors that pop, a slightly chaotic feel…it all works really well to communicate the feel of the book and draw you in. The worse “Brent Spiner” don’t hurt, either. In case you’re curious about what I said about the book behind the cover, click here.