Laurie R. King and my top ten women mystery writer list

Garment of Shadows

Novelist Laurie R. King has rightly earned her standing in my top ten list of women mystery writers and her latest offering is one of the reasons why. Who else can combine the iconic character of Sherlock Holmes with a woman, Mary Russell, who is not only his wife but also his equal in detecting skills?  Then she places them in the fascinating historical setting of the Morocco of 1924, with France and Spain and native insurgents involved in colonial wrangling in the region. The novel opens with Russell discovering that she has no memories and needs to solve the mystery of her own identity. And so the adventure begins.

I love her prose such as, “It would be a plan as tangled as the streets of the medina, a garment woven of lies and half truths, of truths that look like lies, and lies that appear the truth. A garment suited to the half-light, its precise outline impossible to discern.” Beautiful!

While this is book #12 of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mystery series, this new novel could be read as a stand-alone. My advice is to start a reading journey with The Beekeeper’s Apprentice where the story all begins.

The complete list of books in the series can be found at the author's website at

http://www.laurierking.com/

Stay tuned to hear about the other women mystery writers on my list!

Another novel from Tana French!

Broken Harbor by Tana French

Once again author Tana French takes her readers on a roller coaster ride of emotion and suspense. Having played a secondary role in a previous Dublin Murder Squad novel, “Faithful Place,” Detective Michael “Scorcher” Kennedy takes the primary lead in a gruesome murder case.  

Mikey, as he is known to his family, starts working with his new rookie partner, Richie,  teaching him the ropes as they delve into a incident that has left three family members dead and one survivor in the hospital. The scene of the crime is a beach area outside of Dublin called Broken Harbor and the reader senses immediately that the lead detective has bad memories of the place. 

Not only that, he has family troubles with a mentally unstable sister who shows up in need of attention just as the investigation starts to heat up. Layers are peeled away with each chapter, guilt and motives are revealed in characters, and stories are uncovered from the past, both distant and recent. This stunning novel blurs the lines between chaos and order, good and evil, loyalty and betrayal, as it leaves the reader both unsettled and satisfied. 

Other novels by Tana French also recommended

In the woods  

The likeness (still my favorite) 

Faithful Place

Debut novel with amazing young narrator

The Age of Miracles: A Novel

By Karen Thompson Walker

Published by Random House

I received an advanced reading copy on NetGalley

With the passing of the days, who hasn’t wished that their day couldn’t extend past the normal 24 hours, just to get some project completed or have more time to spend with loved ones? In this debut novel, author Karen Thompson Walker explores the scenario of the earth’s rotation slowing a little bit each day. At first, according to the eleven-year-old narrator, Julia, no one really notices the difference of a little extra sunlight. “We did not sense at first the extra time, bulging from the smooth edge of each day like a tumor blooming beneath the skin.”  As the novel progresses, the lengthening of days and nights – known as the slowing - becomes an issue of huge scientific proportions with results such as crops getting too much light and birds losing their sense of direction due to the change in the earth’s magnetic core. The impact upon society is subtle at first with the decision by the government to determine the official length of a day – 24 hours or sundown to sundown? The decision is made to revert back to “clock time” (24 hours) no matter where the sun is positioned. However, some want to let their bodies adjust to the earth’s slowing by staying on what they refer to as “real time,” keeping in touch with their circadian rhythms. These are but a few of the issues that swirl in the mind of young Julia, who carefully watches the effects of stress on those around: her parents, the neighbors, and fellow students. She not only has to deal with puberty, but with a coming of age in a unique time of crisis. She is able to see the small things in life – a fondly remembered relative, a first kiss, a love that resolves to persevere – as daily miracles in a time of uncertainty.  Julia’s honesty and freshness is reminiscent of Anne Frank in her attic. I recommend this novel written with such luminous prose that leaves the reader aching for more.

I love words

To be published - July 3, 2012

Grammar's Girl's 101 Troublesome Words You'll Master in No Time

By Mignon Fogarty

According to the Grammar Girl author, Mignon Fogarty, I can use the phrase:  "you have got to read this book." Being a word person myself, I appreciate the clever way each troublesome word or phrase's history is explained and advice given as to its usage (or non-usage). Most appealing are the quotes from popular TV shows or movies used to illustrate her points on correct grammar. Teens will be able to identify with modern English examples, making grammar fun - or I can even say grammar is the "funnest."  Recommended to middle and high school language arts teachers and curious teens alike.

Another book by Grammar Girl to check out:

Grammar Girl's 101 misused words you'll never confuse again