A Cineaste’s Bookshelf
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A round-up of titles to kick off your reading in May. REVIEW: Death of an Author
Lorac is the pen name of Edith Caroline Rivett who wrote dozens of novels from the 1930s - 1950s. Death of an Author pulls from her inside publishing knowledge to set up this snappy mystery novel.Read More »
REVIEW: In The Fog
On a rainy, late Victorian evening in London, a group of men sit in their club, bemoaning the fact that a bill they oppose will pass in Parliament that night. Then, they notice Sir Andrew, the bill's main supporter, is across the room and they hatch a Scheherazade plan to distract him until the vote is over.Read More »
REVIEW: How To Solve Your Own Murder
Deep family secrets create a domino effect no one could have predicted -- except maybe a fortune teller at an English country fair. Read More »
REVIEW: The Extinction of Irena Rey
An eccentric but ostensibly brilliant author has a new book ready for translation. She summons her equally odd but insightful translators to her home on the edge of the Bialowieza forest reserve in Poland. They all get together, go through the manuscript and spend all day translating from Polish into their respective languages. But this… Read More »
Books for February
“February, a form pale-vestured, wildly fair. One of the North Wind’s daughters with icicles in her hair.” ― Edgar FawcettRead More »
REVIEW: Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge
When it is confirmed that her sister did not survive the Arctic, Maude is secretly given her sister's journal by a sympathetic representative within the Admiralty. She determines to discover and expose the truth.Read More »
These were my favorite reads of 2023. Books for a Long Weekend
I hope between the frantic traveling, parade watching, and air mattress sleeping you have some time for relaxation with a good book. Delve into these creepy, cozy books from around the world.Read More »
REVIEW: The Penguin Book of Murder Mysteries
I am pleased Sims has pulled together another interesting collection of short stories, most of which I had never heard of before. All told, the collection contains more than 300 pages of murder mysteries waiting to be rediscovered.Read More »
Books of London
London was an important hub for authors and publishers of the classics and it's hard to not daydream just a bit when walking around the same streets as Dickens and Conan Doyle. The city is still a vibrant center for publishing, reviewing, and of course, bookshops.Read More »
REVIEW: West Heart Kill
Agatha Christie taught us a century ago, a narrator needn't be telling the reader the truth, nor must the detective himself. But surely the omniscient narrator has no ulterior motives. Right?Read More »
REVIEW: 1923 - The Mystery of Lot 212
On a whim, Boultin's friend sent him an auction listing for a scrap of silent film reel that was labelled Tour de France. He won Lot 212 and embarked on a three-year, multinational odyssey to preserve the film and restore it to its place in history, however small that might be. Read More »
Books for September
September days are here, With summer’s best of weather, And autumn’s best of cheer. ~ Helen Hunt JacksonRead More »
REVIEW: Crook O' Lune
What begins as a spate of sheep-stealing, escalates to arson and murder. Luckily for the villagers, Inspector MacDonald is visiting the area as he considers buying property ahead of his retirement from the police force. His attempt to remain on vacation doesn't last long as he begins to assist local authorities in their inquiry.Read More »