The Murderer's Daughter

            The latest thriller from author Jonathan Kellerman features a very different protagonist from that of his usual series character Dr. Alex Delaware. She is Dr. Grace Blades, a successful, intellectually gifted psychologist, also based in Los Angeles as is Delaware, whose well-balanced demeanor conceals a secret. Grace was the daughter of psychologically damaged parents who died in a murder-suicide when she was five years of age. She was shuffled around the foster care system until ending up with a caring woman who happened to have a brother-in-law, a psychologist and professor, who recognized Grace’s intelligence and spirit and worked with her to maximize her potential. When the foster mother died suddenly under suspicious circumstances, Grace is adopted by the brother-in-law and his wife.

            Grace grows into adulthood living a much better life with her adopted parents. But while she transforms herself into a successful career woman, Grace also has a reckless side that includes racing cars and anonymous sex. Then some individuals from her foster care childhood appear and Grace’s life is threatened. Reluctant to contact the police because of complications, Grace instead manages to protect herself, identify the murderer, and arrive at justice. The breakneck pace of the story and the well-developed characters add to the reader’s enjoyment.

X

            X is the 24^th book in the best-selling Alphabet series written by Sue Grafton. Private investigator Kinsey Millhone is back to solving mysteries; this time the reader gets three for the price of one. As usual, the story is set in Santa Teresa, California; it is the spring of 1989. Some of the characters in this book are old friends of the reader: Henry, Kinsey’s nonagenarian landlord, Rosie the owner of the bar that Kinsey hangs out at, and others.

            And the three mysteries? One involves a job offered to Kinsey by a wealthy woman to find the child she gave up for adoption. Only the woman isn’t who she seems to be, as Kinsey discovers when the police question her about the marked bill that she received in payment. She eventually uncovers the truth as well as acts as the go-between for a divorced couple trying to one-up each other.

            Mystery number two is a job that PI Pete Wolinsky was unable to complete before he was murdered in Grafton’s last book. It involves a list of the names of six women that Pete was trying to protect. They all are or were involved with Ned Lowe: his daughter, ex-wives, current wife, and old girlfriends. Ned tried controlling all of them. Did he murder one of them too?

            Mystery number three is minor yet humorous. An elderly couple moves into the house next door to Henry and Kinsey. At first they are viewed as a pitiful pair, the husband is confined to a wheelchair and they are low on funds and without a car. Henry always is doing favors for them. But Kinsey senses something is not as it should be, and her investigations lead to the truth.

            Humor, suspense, well-drawn characters that you’d like to know better; this book has it all.

Female Sleuths

            If you enjoy reading mysteries solved with a feminine touch, here are the latest available from some well-known authors.

            Patricia Cornwell’s series of crime novels, originated in 1990 and features Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a medical examiner who relies on forensic science and her own natural intelligence to identify murderers. Kay, her family members, and friends are often endangered during the hunt for the killer, but are rescued at the end. Most recent books include Flesh and Blood and Depraved Heart.

            Krista Davis has written a series of books featuring Sophie Winston, the Domestic Diva; an event planner who always runs into murder. Recent titles include The Diva Steals a Chocolate Kiss and The Diva Wraps it up.

            Janet Evanovich’s most famous series is the one featuring bounty hunter Stephanie Plum who, with the help of her grandmother, friends and co-workers, is always able to solve the mystery, although things usually don’t go smoothly. These are ‘romantic adventure’ novels. The series begins with One for the Money, recent entries are Top Secret Twenty-One and Takedown Twenty.

            Joanne Fluke is the author of the Hannah Swensen culinary mystery series. Series titles currently number eighteen, featuring Hannah who is a bakery owner and amateur sleuth. You’re sure to get recipes for baked goods as well as the answer to whodunit. Recent titles are Double Fudge Brownie Murder and Blackberry Pie Murder.

            Sue Grafton is the author of the “alphabet mysteries” featuring Kinsey Millhone, a private investigator whose stories are set in late 1980’s California (the fictional Santa Teresa). On the surface, Kinsey is an independent, self-sufficient person. However, as the series progresses, the reader learns of her many personal issues.  A is for Alibi was published in 1982. The series now nears the end of its run; the 24^th entry, X, will be published very soon.

 

Writers with August Birthdays

            James Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924. The author of over twenty works of fiction and non-fiction, Baldwin received numerous accolades, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Ford Foundation Grant. He was one of the most widely read African American authors in the twentieth century. He died in 1987. Some of his best known works include Another Country; Tell Me How Long the Train’s Been Gone, and Go Tell It on the Mountain.

            P.D. James was born on August 3, 1920. A British mystery writer whose works are in the classic style with modern elements, focusing on psychological and social issues. Her most famous character is Adam Dalgliesh. Her most recent books were The Private Patient, the final Dalgliesh novel, and Death Comes to Pemberley, a murder mystery featuring the characters from Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. James died in 2014.

            Suzanne Collins was born on August 10, 1962. She began her career by writing for children’s television shows, including several on the Nickelodeon network. Her first effort at writing children’s books was the creation of The Underland Chronicles, a five-part fantasy/war series. This was followed by The Hunger Game Trilogy, a young adult series whose three novels The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay have been published in several formats including film.

            Steve Martin was born on August 14, 1945. This actor/comedian began his writing career with a play and pieces for The New Yorker Magazine, followed by novellas Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Company, and the novel An Object of Beauty.

            Danielle Steel was born on August 14, 1947. She is well-known for generating over ninety works of fiction on a regular basis, many of them best sellers, since the early 1980s. Several of her books have been adapted for television and motion pictures. Her most recent books include Country, Prodigal Son, and Pegasus.  

Preparing Your Harvest

            This is for all you gardeners who have spent the season fussing over your fruit and vegetables. Harvest time is near! Here are some books that will help you preserve your crops.

            The Gentle Art of Preserving, written by Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi, demonstrates the food preservation techniques of pickling, smoking, freezing, drying, curing, fermenting, bottling and canning. Information is given on the equipment, ingredients and timing required for these methods; and they are accompanied by an assortment of recipes for each.

            The Complete Home Guide to Canning and Preserving: Includes over 75 Easy Recipes for Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Sauces, and More encourages the reader to “buy locally and eat healthfully”. Whether you buy from your local farmstand or grow your own, these recipes, safety tips and instructions will boost your sense of self-sufficiency.

            Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables and Herbs in Krauts, Kumchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes and Pastes, is written by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey. Using the laco-fermentation process, the authors provide instructions, safety tips, and recipes for these dishes. All supply nutritious bacteria and probiotics that aid in digestion and boost the immune system.  

            Put ‘em up! Fruit: a Preserving Guide and Cookbook: Creative Ways to Put ‘em up, Tasty Ways to Use ‘em up is written by Sherri Vinton. Here the reader learns preparation and troubleshooting techniques for jellies, jams, conserves, curds, gastriques, and more. The book contains eighty recipes for eighteen types of fruit.

            Saving the Season: a Cook’s Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving is written by Kevin West. He is the blogger for SavingtheSeason.com who here relies on his Southern roots and experiences as a food journalist in New York and the West Coast to provide information on American canning traditions, food safety and nutrition. 220 recipes range from jams, pickles, cordials, cocktails and candies.

           

 

The City of Falling Angels

            This non-fiction book is a colorful presentation of the city of Venice, its history, culture, and personalities, beginning with the depiction of the 1996 fire at the historic La Fenice Opera House. It is written by John Berendt, who coincidentally happened to be in Venice at the time and decided that the city was worth further investigation.
            Berendt explores Venetian history, its environmental problems, and its culture. He introduces us to some of its famous past and present visitors such as Henry James, Robert Browning, and Woody Allen, and expatriate residents such as the poet Ezra Pound and his mistress Olga Rudge, and the American Daniel Curtis who purchased the Palazzo Barbaro, and whose descendants remained there. Other intriguing residents are presented. One is Archimede Segus, a renowned Venetian glassblower who creates a collection of glass based upon his impressions of the fire; we also meet the entrepreneurial developer of rat poisons, a writer of erotic poetry who commits suicide, a couple who become indispensable to elderly and wealthy individuals so that they can appropriate their literary and art collections, and more.
            Berendt follows the investigation of the fire, at first thought to be an accident, then a case of arson. Was the Mafia involved? Berendt also follows the fundraising adventures of the American Save Venice Foundation whose efforts to raise money for rebuilding the opera house became tainted by the petty squabbles between its members.
            Berendt also is the author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and wrote and edited for New York and Esquire magazines.

Perfect Your Style

            New ideas for decorating your home can be found here at your library. Some of the new books we have are:

     Design Mom: How to Live with Kids: a Room-by-Room Guide is written by Gabrielle Stanley Blair, the author of the blog DesignMom.com. The theme of her book is how to live well with kids – and with six kids of her own she’s had a lot of practice. Blair’s ideas focus on finding a solution that is elegant yet works within your architectural and financial constraints. An abundance of color photos along with descriptive text illustrate family-friendly decorating solutions.

     The Height of Style: Inspiring Ideas from the World’s Chicest Rooms is from the editors of Elle Décor magazine. The editors present a compilation of the “best” rooms they have published in the last five years, each with an “overarching vision”. The rooms are divided into four categories: classical, fanciful, practical, and personal. Each full-color photo is accompanied by detailed text and the name of the designer. A list of decorating sources is included.

     Sarah Style: An Inspiring Room-by-Room Guide to Designing Your Perfect Home is written by Sarah Richardson, an award-winning Canadian designer and the host of several HGTV television programs. Sarah tours each room in the house, from entry, to kitchen, to bedroom and more; presenting ideas and full-color photos of more than one hundred rooms. Get empowered to redo a small space or several rooms.

     Taunton’s All New Decorating Idea Book is written by Heather J. Paper, a decorating writer with many years of experience. In this book she focuses on the three elements that are the foundation of a well-designed room: style, color, and personal touches. Full-color photos illustrate how these elements are utilized in the selection of furniture, floor coverings, window treatments, lighting and more.