An Unexpected Delight and Continuation of the Story

 

What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust

Flavia De Luce # 11

Alan Bradley

Bantam Books

September 3, 2024

I was delighted to learn that a new Flavia de Luce novel was set for publication. After about five years, I thought #10, The Golden Tresses of the Dead, would surely be the last of this most unique series, based on the adventures of eleven-year-old Flavia, a genius chemist and expert on poisons and indefatigable sleuth. When The Golden Tresses ended, her father had died, and she was left sole heir to the family estate, Buckshaw. Flavia is twelve now, still riding her trusty bicycle all over the countryside, tending to everyone's business. There is a new resident at Buckshaw, Flavia's younger cousin, Undine. Flavia considers Undine a pestilent nuisance, much as Flavia was to her two older sisters. Those two are married and settled, but the cast of characters at Buckshaw are much the same. Mrs. Mullet, the cook, and Dogger, man of all work, are indispensable at Buckshaw. Dogger, her father's companion in captivity by the Japanese during WWII. Dogger came back from the War extensively damaged in body and mind but serves as a substitute father to Flavia.

It isn't long before a new mystery is afoot at Buckshaw and nearby village, Bishop's Lacey. A new resident, Major Greyleigh, is little known in the town but is found dead of poisoning. Mrs. Mullet comes under suspicion as she cooked up a batch of mushrooms for him and is suspected of being the agent. Flavia must clear Mrs. Mullet of the murder, especially since Major Greyleigh was a retired hangman. Indeed, he had plenty of enemies to choose from. In the course of this novel, Flavia and Undine come across shocking secrets, long kept, that put them in the path of villains and even physical harm. Some of the secrets are about the de Luce family itself. What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust is complex and darker than the preceding novels. There are twists and turns and many unforeseen developments, some of which may change Flavia's life forever. 

Flavia herself has matured but is still as engaging as ever. Her voice is one of the most intelligent I have ever encountered, especially in crime fiction. I hope there will be at least one more Flavia de Luce novel that will answer all the many questions raised in my mind by What Time the Sexton's Spade Dost Rust. Thanks to NetGalley.com and Bantam Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING- 4 Stars

Explosive second book of the Red Queen Trilogy

 

BLACK WOLF

The Red Queen Trilogy, No. 2

Juan Gomez-Jurado

Minotaur Books

March 12, 2024

Antonia Scott and her protector, policeman Jon Gutierrez, are two of the most interesting characters I have encountered in crime fiction for a long time. Antonia is a brilliant but conflicted member of the Red Queen, an international crime-fighting organization. Antonia has a clever brain that sees and makes connections at lightning-fast speed but has relentless personal demons. Her husband has been on life support for years after a failed assassination attempt on Antonia went horribly awry. Her family has taken her only child away because of her erratic behavior. On the other hand, her partner, Jon Gutierrez, is gay, nattily dressed, overweight, and neurotic. He is also Antonia's steadfast supporter and friend. Their first case together, Red Queen, was a non-stop thriller with an ending that left many questions unanswered.

Antonia and Jon are sent to Marbella, a resort city on the Costa del Sol after a Russian gangster is brutally murdered in his home. His pregnant wife, Lola Moreno, is missing and assumed to be on the run. Red Queen needs to find and extract Lola for her safety and the information she may have. The Russian gangster who killed her husband is also looking for her. If that was not enough, the head mafioso in Russia has sent his assassin to find Lola. The assassin is a female known as the "Black Wolf," with a high success rate and a seemingly endless appetite for brutality. Antonia, Jon, and corrupt Marbella cops are bound to collide with explosive results. Antonia's personal demons raise their heads, and she overuses the drugs prescribed to keep her going. Nobody is who they appear to be in this propulsive thriller.

I was blown away by Red Queen and eagerly awaited the second installment. I was not precisely disappointed by Black Wolf, even though it wasn't quite as engrossing. That is often the nature of a middle book in a trilogy. Once again, the characters are extraordinary and surprising, and the action never stops. Antonia is releasing some of her failures and regrets, which bodes well for the finish. I hope it comes soon after a jaw-dropping twist at the novel's close! Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING- 4 Stars

There are Strange Things out in the Wilderness

THE BOY WHO CRIED BEAR

Haven's Rock #2

Kelley Armstrong

St. Martins Minotaur

February 20, 2024

I have been a fan of Kelley Armstrong's books for a very long time since I first became aware of her Otherworld series in the early 2000s. Whether it is Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Time-Slip, or whatever Rockton or Haven's Rock could be classified as she consistently delivers unique characters and great stories.

The Haven's Rock Series is a spin-off of the Rockton Series, set in the contemporary Canadian Yukon. Rockton was a well-hidden town, founded initially for people fleeing political persecution. Over the years, it became a refuge for anyone who could pay to get in. Casey Duncan was fleeing her possible prosecution for murder and the revenge of the victim's family. Brought in as a detective reporting to the Rockton Sheriff, Eric Dalton. The pairing became both professional and personal. Casey and Eric are now a married couple. When Rockton fell apart, the two founded Haven's Rock. Haven's Rock is meant as an escape for people fleeing trouble not of their own making, and hopefully, fewer serial killers and psychopaths.

Haven's Rock has accepted a mother and two children whose father was killed in front of them after testifying in a trial. The two boys are the first children in Rockton or Haven's Rock, causing concerns they have never faced before. When the younger boy reports seeing a bear with human eyes near the settlement, no one knows what to think. The boy, Max, is insistent, and everyone is all out to find him when he appears to have been abducted. Plenty of strange people are out in the woods, but why would Max be abducted? Coupled with this dilemma, Casey and Eric have their own issue, which is also about a child.

The Boy Who Cried Bear is another gripping installment in this well-constructed series. While the novel could be read as a stand-alone, I think everyone should start with the first in the series and possibly go back to Rockton. You won't be disappointed!! Thanks to NetGalley.com and Minotaur for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING 4.5 Stars

Adelaide to Darwin through the Outback on a legendary train

 EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT

 Benjamin Stevenson #2

 Mariner Books

 January 30, 2024

I have been eagerly awaiting Everyone on This Train is a Suspect since last year's Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. It was, hands down, my favorite mystery novel of 2023. It was highly satisfactory, a clever and inventive take on the tropes inherent in "Golden Age" mystery fiction, with a fair amount of violence mixed in for a more modern audience. Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advance reading copy.

This time, our "hero," Ernest Cunningham, has been invited aboard The Ghan, a legendary and lavish train traveling through the Australian Outback from Adelaide to Darwin. It's a very different setting from the previous book, the snowy mountains of New South Wales, but just as dangerous in an Australian high summer. The reason for the trip is the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Australian Mystery Writers Society. Ern's actual crime book about his family has done very well, and Elizabeth (his girlfriend we met in the prior book) is along. Elizabeth, too, wrote a book about their experiences.

The train is full of mystery fiction luminaries, primarily the Scots writer Henry McTavish, whose next book is the end of a long-running and very lucrative series. The rest of the train comprises a motley crew of lesser writers, agents, rabid fans, warring publishers, and one very "literary" writer who is above it all. The connections between these disparate characters run deep and are only sometimes cordial. The first murder comes as no real surprise, but as others pile on, Ern sets out in his own fashion despite the danger.

There are a lot of characters in this book, and I found them easy to lose track of. They did not seem quite as well drawn as Ern's family. Still, I recommend this book highly because of Ern's distinctive and snarky voice. He needs to have more regard for his personal safety, or he will not be around for long. There is quite a twist at the end, related by Elizabeth, that I did not see coming!

RATING- 4 Stars

 

The Age of Steam and Conspiracy

 

MURDER AT THE MERTON LIBRARY

Wrexford and Sloan #7

Andrea Penrose

Kensington Books

September 26, 2023

Lord Wrexford sets out quickly to Oxford when he receives a message from an old friend, Greeley, a Librarian at Merton College Library. More important, he was the dearest friend of Wrexford's younger brother, Thomas. Thomas was killed in a French ambush in Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars, and Wrexford has always felt guilty that he was not there to save him. Greeley was the only survivor, grievously wounded in both body and spirit. Wrexford would never ignore a request from Greeley. Upon his arrival, he finds that the librarian has been murdered and a valuable manuscript is missing.

Meanwhile, in London, Lady Charlotte is investigating a possible arson fire at a laboratory under her pen name, AJ Quill. This is the age of steam; Stephen Fulton has just introduced the steam paddleboat in America to great success and acclaim. The British are all in on developing an ocean-going steamboat. As was the custom, consortiums are being formed to reap the benefits. Some of the consortiums have dubious characters involved, and Charlotte wants to get to the bottom of them, especially since their friend, Kit Sheffield, is tempted to join one of the most dubious.

As always, the burgeoning world of science is at the heart of the Wrexford and Sloane mysteries. The Regency era brought many new scientific advances and new ways to cheat others out of their wealth. In this particular entry, I found myself lost in all the theories of propulsion from DaVinci to more modern theorists. However, the cast of characters redeems that. Time spent in the company of the Wrexfords, their formerly street urchin wards, Raven and Hawk, and Peregrine, the new addition, Peregrine, is well-spent. It is an unconventional family, but a family nonetheless. We even get answers about Charlotte's taciturn housekeeper, Mac, and a resolution to just who was responsible for the death of Thomas in the ambush that killed him.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.

RATING- 3.5 Stars

Intrigue and Adventure on the High Seas

 THE SPANISH DIPLOMAT'S SECRET

 Captain Jim and Lady Diana Mysteries, # 3

 Nev March

 Minotaur Books

 September 12, 2023

 The third story in this award-winning series features Captain Jim Agnihotri and Lady Diana embarking on a journey from their home in America to England at the behest of Diana's brother, Adi. Adi is in England on business and wants Jim's help with a matter he only wants to discuss in person. It suits Captain Jim since he has sensed a growing distance between himself and Diana. At first glance, the couple seems ill-assorted. Jim is a half-caste orphan invalided out of the Indian Army, and Diana is from a noble, wealthy Indian family and was university educated in England. Jim's service to the family (Murder in Old Bombay) made him almost a family member. They welcomed him with open arms when Diana set her cap for him. Diana usually gets what she wants! Jim's investigative skills, army background, and Diana's social skills make them a formidable duo.

As much as Jim is happy to take the journey, an old problem arises. Jim is a very bad sailor who never seems to quite overcome it. After one of his bouts, he goes out on the deck, hoping for fresh air and relief. While there, he meets an old soldier, Don Juan Nepomuceno. The two feel a sense of kinship, and the old man is kind to Jim. However, Don Juan is not universally loved, as becomes apparent when he is murdered in a grisly and very personal manner only a few hours later. His past includes the execution of many US Navy prisoners in Cuba years before. Many hate him, and some onboard have reason to do so. The fact that Don Juan is highly placed in the Spanish nobility threatens to create an international incident. The ship's captain asks Jim to find the killer before docking at Liverpool.

Hundreds of passengers are on the ship, from first class to second, and steerage. Then there is the crew. The author does a fine job of keeping them separate and distinct from each other. Diana, as always, involves herself but is limited to the first-class areas. Jim spends every waking hour, while not seasick, all over the ship and learning much about the operations of an ocean liner. Action and life-threatening danger are never far from the duo as they race to solve the murder. 

I have enjoyed each of the books in this series and was not disappointed in The Spanish Diplomat's Secret. There is a foreshadowing of the next puzzle for Captain Jim and Lady Diana in the person of Adi. I will be looking forward to it.

A Very Surprising Find

 

THE PUZZLE OF BLACKSTONE LODGE

Rachel Savernake #3

Martin Edwards

Poison Pen Press

August 1, 2023

As a lifetime reader of murder mysteries, especially British crime, I know of Martin Edwards. Edwards is the foremost expert on British Golden-age mysteries with many books, stories, prefaces, and non-fiction to his credit. To my knowledge, I had never read one of his novels, so when The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge popped up on NetGalley, with this fabulous cover, I jumped on it. 

Disheveled, heavy drinker and smoker Nell Fagan is "on her uppers," having lost her last reporting job, and is looking for a big scoop. She thinks she has found it when Vernon Baker asks her to look into his mother's death. She had married a much younger man who drove a wedge between mother and son. Vernon next knew that she had gone to a sanitarium for some rest in Yorkshire and died there. Vernon asks her to investigate the place, Blackstone Lodge. Having burned her bridges with just about everyone, Nell heads up to Blackstone Fell. She finds an odd and dreary place with a dangerous landscape. People go missing, never to be seen again; one in 1606 and one in 1906, most famously. When Vernon Baker is killed in London due to an "accident,." Nell returns to London to consult with Rachel Savernake.

Rachel Savernake is a wealthy young woman, the daughter of a notorious "hanging judge" in London. Evidently, the judge went bonkers after his wife died, taking his young daughter to grow up on the isolated island of Gaunt. Not surprisingly, when the judge died, Rachel headed back to London with her small band of one housekeeper, one maid, and a man of all work. All three are devoted to her. She is a mystery to everyone except her staff. She does have a hobby, solving grisly murders, which has given her fame and the police fits. Even in 1932-ish, the police did not approve of women solving crimes. Especially Rachel, who is coldly analytical, giving nothing away. When Nell returns to Blackstone Fell and promptly goes missing herself from the exact location where others have gone before her, Rachel rents a cottage and follows behind. Blackstone Fell is a seething mass of gossip, bad blood, and extra-marital activity. The Vicar himself is a wife-abusing zealot. There are plenty of bad actors to go around.

Following Rachel and Nell is Jacob Flint, a fellow reporter with Nell who has been involved with earlier investigations. Jacob seems genuine enough, but who knows in this group of characters? Rachel herself and her loyal band of employees are the main attractions. Rachel is mysterious to the nth degree and not at all likable. No doubt, it would help to read the previous two books, which I plan to start right away.

The Puzzle of Blackwood Lodge is atmospheric, masterfully plotted, and totally fascinating. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance digital copy.

5 Stars