Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Letters from Paris
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S): Lind, Hailey
BIRTHDATE: 1962
WEBSITE: http://julietblackwell.net/
CITY:
STATE: CA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://julietblackwell.net/bio.php
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: no2010002629
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2010002629
HEADING: Blackwell, Juliet
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670 __ |a Secondhand spirits, c2009: |b t.p. (Juliet Blackwell)
670 __ |a Amazon.com, viewed on 02-24-2016: |b (Juliet Blackwell; New York Times bestselling author of the Witchcraft Mystery series, including Spellcasting in Silk and A Vision in Velvet, and the Haunted Home Renovation series, including Give Up the Ghost and Keeper of the Castle. She is also the author of The Paris Key. Together with her sister, Juliet wrote the Art Lover’s Mystery series. The first in that series, Feint of Art, was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Juliet’s lifelong interest in the paranormal world was triggered when her favorite aunt visited and read her fortune — with startling results. As an anthropologist, the author studied systems of spirituality, magic, and health across cultures and throughout history. She currently resides in a happily haunted house in Oakland, California)
PERSONAL
Full name Juliet Goodson-Lawes; born 1962, in CA; father a jet aircraft pilot; mother an editor; divorced; children: a son.
EDUCATION:University of California, Santa Cruz, bachelor’s degree; State University of New York at Albany, master’s degrees (anthropology and social work).
ADDRESS
CAREER
State University of New York at Albany, former teacher of medical anthropology; worked as an elementary school social worker in rural New York State; former professional artist and operator of a decorative painting, historical renovation, and domestic design studio, San Francisco, CA; novelist, c. 2009-.
AVOCATIONS:Travel, reading.
MEMBER:Mystery Writers of America (past board member), Sisters in Crime (past president of Northern California chapter).
WRITINGS
Also author of “A Haunting Is Brewing: A Haunted Home Renovation and a Witchcraft Mystery Novella,” InterMix, 2014. Work represented in anthologies, including Gary Phillips’ Hollis P.I., self-published, 2014; and Love on Main Street: A Snow Creek Christmas, self-published, 2016. Contributor to anthropology journals.
SIDELIGHTS
Juliet Blackwell is the pseudonym of novelist Juliet Goodson-Lawes, who built a diverse work history before she became an author. Her home base is the San Francisco area, but Blackwell has studied, worked, and vacationed from Latin America (including Cuba) to Europe to the Philippines. Her training includes degrees in Latin American studies, anthropology, and social work. She taught medical anthropology in New York State until a divorce inspired her to return to her West Coast roots. The theme of personal reinvention has figured prominently in her fiction.
Blackwell resurfaced in the Bay Area as a professional artist with her own design studio. She became skilled at historical restoration and worked as a decorative painter at construction sites. She reacquainted herself with the city of San Francisco, especially enjoying “the rundown areas, the ethnic enclaves and distinct neighborhoods” that “city tourists don’t often see,” she told an interviewer at Mysteries and My Musings. Blackwell moved into a century-old house across the bay in Oakland, a house that came with a large botanical garden—and possibly a ghost or two.
Blackwell’s interest in botanicals—and the supernatural—was nurtured long before. She tells interviewers that one of her aunts foretold her future when she was just a child, and the forecast was so surprising that she still remembers it. Her son’s paternal grandmother passed along a treasure trove of herbal knowledge from her native village in Central America. There, and in many other parts of the world, herbal medicine and the healing arts are inextricably linked to witchcraft and the paranormal.
According to an interview by John Wilkens in the San Diego Union Tribune, Blackwell did not launch her writing career until she reached her thirties. By then she had gathered enough career experiences and personal memories to inspire at least three major mystery series, as well as a more recent venture into mainstream fiction. According to her home page, Blackwell “believes in the magic of language, travel, and cultural exchange to open hearts, minds, and souls.”
Magic, Mayhem, and Mystery
Blackwell made her debut under the pseudonym Hailey Lind, as coauthor (with her sister Carolyn Lawes) of the “Art Lover’s Mystery” series. The series features Annie Kincaid, a rehabilitated art forger who opens an art investigation business. In Feint of Art, the discovery of multiple art forgeries in the Brock Museum collections coincides with the murder of a museum janitor and the disappearance of the museum curator, who happens to be Annie’s ex-boyfriend. Shooting Gallery involves a corpse hidden within a sculpture, with suspicion falling upon one of Annie’s friends. Brush with Death begins when Annie finds cremated remains in a building where she is restoring murals. The remains lead her into a graveyard, a painting that could be a priceless work of art, and a mystery surrounding her grandfather, a master art forger in his own right.
The “Haunted Home Renovation” series also draws on Blackwell’s varied career history. Mel Turner is a former anthropologist who renovates historic homes as the successor to her father’s San Francisco construction company. In the first volume, If Walls Could Talk, she is startled to learn that she also has the power to communicate with a ghost who steers her toward a mystery that could reveal the killer of a fellow contractor. In Dead Bolt, Mel must deal with an entire group of ghosts, who are not happy with the changes she intends to make to their historic Victorian home. Mel develops a reputation as both contractor and ghost whisperer. Subsequent adventures take her to locations all over the city, including a haunted bed-and-breakfast establishment in the Castro District, a mansion in Pacific Heights, and a historic lighthouse in the San Francisco Bay.
Concurrently with the Mel Turner mysteries, Blackwell writes installments of the “Witchcraft Mystery” series featuring Lily Ivory, who happens to be a natural-born witch. By day she is the owner of a vintage clothing store in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. In her spare time she practices witchcraft in the company of her “familiar,” a pig named Oscar. Her specialty is the ability to sense magical vibrations from the past, especially when evil is in the air. In Secondhand Spirits, Lily is still trying to separate her magical gift from her day job, but when children begin to disappear, she must set her personal preferences aside. Several adventures follow, in which Lily is increasingly consulted by law-enforcement agencies, as well as the local witchcraft community.
The Paris Key
After more than a dozen mysteries, Blackwell’s fondness for the City of Light led her in the direction of mainstream fiction, but The Paris Key begins in her own backyard. California native Genevieve Martin is in the throes of depression after a failed marriage when she decides to flee the ghosts of her past. Her uncle dies and bequeaths her his Parisian locksmith shop and apartment. Genevieve remembers the shop as a happy place where she enjoyed a childhood summer vacation after the death of her mother. She does not expect that her steps toward a new life will plunge her into the past, where a complicated family history awaits.
There are two stories in The Paris Key, linked by an antique key that Genevieve wears on a chain around her neck. While exploring the hidden byways of her new home, at the lock shop she uncovers secrets about her mother’s life that will alter her perceptions of the past. In her interview with Wilkens, Blackwell confesses to a fascination with the power of keys to lock—or unlock. In the story, Genevieve must decide which doors to the past are worth opening.
Fans of her mysteries welcomed Blackwell’s entry into mainstream fiction, but more than one reviewer favored Genevieve’s present-day story over the mysteries of her late mother. A writer at That’s What I’m Talking About observed: “The Paris Key is well written, tight, has good pacing, character motives that make sense,” but it “is a melancholy book and I felt sad while reading it.” A critic at Mystery Playground “came away with a rich sense of Paris” that offered “a wonderful vacation from everyday life.” Library Journal contributor Brooke Bolton classified the novel as “solid contemporary fiction.”
Letters from Paris
In Letters from Paris Blackwell continues to explore the power of the past to shape the future. Claire Broussard returns to her native Louisiana to care for her dying grandmother. While working on the grandmother’s house, Claire recovers a broken mask of a woman’s face, which she remembers seeing at the house when she was a child. On her deathbed, Grandma asks Claire to find the studio where the beautiful mask was made and to uncover the secrets it conceals.
Claire heads to Paris and meets Armand, the handsome but disgruntled sculptor who inherited the family studio where the mask was made. She learns that the sculpture is the death mask of a beautiful suicide victim who drowned herself in the Seine in the 1800s. Armand offers Claire a job with room and board that will support her while she investigates the mystery, and gradually the two begin to suspect “that their families have crossed paths before,” as Bolton commented in Library Journal.
Along the way, according to a Publishers Weekly commentator, “Blackwell seamlessly incorporates details about art, cast making, and the City of Light.” A reviewer in the Minneapolis Star Tribune Online acknowledged a “hackneyed” plot but still found Letters from Paris to be “beautifully paced, thoughtful and mysterious.” The critic added: “It’s all highly implausible, yet well crafted and great fun.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, August 1, 2016, Emily Borsa, review of Letters from Paris, p. 40.
Library Journal, September 1, 2013, Teresa L. Jacobsen, “By Hook or by Crook,” p. 88; December 1, 2013, Teresa L. Jacobsen, review of Home for the Haunting, p. 71; September 1, 2015, Brooke Bolton, review of The Paris Key, p. 90; August 1, 2016,Brooke Bolton, review of Letters from Paris, p. 84.
Publishers Weekly, October 24, 2011, review of Dead Bolt, p. 38; July 18, 2016, review of Letters from Paris, p. 181.
San Diego Union Tribune, August 30, 2015, John Wilkens, author interview.
ONLINE
Juliet Blackwell Home Page, http://julietblackwell.net (April 30, 2017).
Mysteries and My Musings, http://mysterysuspense.blogspot.com/ (December 17, 2012), author interview.
Mysterious Reviews, http://www.mysteriousreviews.com/ (April 30, 2017), review of Secondhand Spirits.
Mystery Playground, http://www.mysteryplayground.net/ (September 9, 2015), review of The Paris Key.
Para Your Normal, https://parayournormal.wordpress.com/ (January 25, 2015), author interview.
Smart Bitches Trashy Books, http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/ (November 7, 2015), review of The Paris Key.
Star Tribune Online (Minneapolis, MN), http://www.startribune.com/ (January 7, 2017), review of Letters from Paris.
That’s What I’m Talking About, http://twimom227.com/ (September 15, 2015), review of The Paris Key.
Hailey Lind is the pseudonym of two sisters, one an artist in Oakland, California, the other a historian in Norfolk, Virginia. The former, Julie Goodson-Lawes, painted the cover image for the book and runs her own faux-finishing and design business in San Francisco. Carolyn J. Laws is associate professor of history at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.
Additional book:
Arsenic and Old Paint: The Art Lover's Mystery Series (Art Lover's Mysteries)
2009
Sep 9, 2010 - Perseverance Press
by Hailey Lind
Bio
Juliet Blackwell
Short Bio
Juliet Blackwell is the New York Times bestselling author of Letters from Paris and The Paris Key. She also writes the Witchcraft Mystery series and the Haunted Home Renovation series. As Hailey Lind, Blackwell wrote the Agatha-nominated Art Lover's Mystery series. A former anthropologist, social worker, and professional artist, Juliet is a California native who has spent time in Mexico, Spain, Cuba, Italy, the Philippines, and France.
Long Bio
Juliet Blackwell was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, the youngest child of a jet pilot from New York and an editor from Texas. She graduated with a degree in Latin American Studies from University of California, Santa Cruz, and went on to earn Masters degrees in Anthropology and Social Work from the State University of New York, Albany.
While in graduate school she published several articles based on her research with immigrant families from Mexico and Viet Nam, as well as one full-length translation: Miguel León-Portilla's seminal work, Endangered Cultures. Juliet taught Medical Anthropology at SUNY-Albany, was producer for a BBC documentary about Vietnamese children left behind by US soldiers, and worked as an elementary school social worker in rural New York. Upon her return to California she became a professional artist and ran her own decorative painting, historical renovation, and domestic design studio for more than a decade.
In addition to mainstream novels, Juliet pens the New York Times Bestselling Witchcraft Mysteries and the Haunted Home Renovation series. As Hailey Lind she wrote the Agatha Award-nominated Art Lover's Mystery series. She is past president of Northern California Sisters in Crime and former board member of Mystery Writers of America.
Juliet lives in a hundred-year-old house with extensive botanical gardens in Northern California, but spends as much time as possible in Europe and Latin America. She<< believes in the magic of language, travel, and cultural exchange to open hearts, minds, and souls.>>
Juliet Blackwell was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, the youngest child of a jet pilot from New York and an editor from Texas. She graduated with a degree in Latin American Studies from University of California, Santa Cruz, and went on to earn Masters degrees in Anthropology and Social Work from the State University of New York, Albany. While in graduate school she published several articles based on her research with immigrant families from Mexico and Viet Nam, as well as one full-length translation: Miguel León-Portilla’s seminal work, Endangered Cultures. Juliet taught Medical Anthropology at SUNY-Albany, was producer for a BBC documentary about Vietnamese children left behind by US soldiers, and worked as an elementary school social worker in rural New York. Upon her return to California she became a professional artist and ran her own decorative painting, historical renovation, and domestic design studio for more than a decade. In addition to mainstream novels, Juliet pens the New York Times Bestselling Witchcraft Mysteries and the Haunted Home Renovation series. As Hailey Lind she wrote the Agatha-Award nominated Art Lover’s Mystery series. She is past president of Northern California Sisters in Crime and former board member of Mystery Writers of America. Juliet lives in a hundred-year-old house with extensive botanical gardens in Northern California, but spends as much time as possible in Europe and Latin America. She believes in the magic of language, travel, and cultural exchange to open hearts, minds, and souls.
BOOK DESCRIPTIONS
Lily Ivory, a natural-born witch skilled in brewing and botanicals, opens a vintage clothing store called Aunt Cora's Closet in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, where she makes friends—and becomes part of a community—for the first time in her life. Unfortunately, San Francisco is brimming with supernatural mischief...and very human murder.
A Toxic Trousseau
Book 8
Natural-born witch—and vintage boutique owner—Lily Ivory cracks open a Pandora's box when she investigates some alarming apparel...
Even the most skilled sorceress can't ward off a lawsuit, and Lily is not at her enchanting best with her hands full as the temporary leader of San Francisco's magical community. So after her potbellied pig Oscar head-butts rival clothier Autumn Jennings, Lily tries to make peace without a costly personal injury case.
But any hope of a quiet resolution is shattered when Autumn turns up dead. As one of the prime suspects, Lily searches for a way to clear her name and discovers a cursed trousseau among Autumn's recently acquired inventory. Lily must deal with a mysterious dogwalker and spend the night in a haunted house as she delves into the clothing's treacherous past. She's got to figure out who wanted to harm Autumn fast, before the curse claims another victim...
Spellcasting in Silk
Book 7
Lily would like nothing better than to relax, enjoy her friends, and take care of business at her store, which is booming thanks to San Francisco's upcoming Summer of Love Festival. But as the unofficial witchy consultant to the SFPD, she is pulled into yet another case.
A woman has jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, and her apparent suicide may be connected to a suspicious botanica in the Mission District. When the police investigate the shop, they ask Lily to look into its mysterious owner, whose granddaughter also appears to be missing. As Lily searches for the truth, she finds herself confronted with a confounding mystery and some very powerful magic...
Vision in Velvet
Book 6
Lily Ivory hopes to score some great vintage fashion when she buys an antique trunk full of old clothes. But she may have gotten more than she bargained for...
As soon as Lily opens the trunk she feels strange vibrations emanating from a mysterious velvet cloak. When she tries it on, Lily sees awful visions from the past. And when the antique dealer who sold her the cape is killed, Lily suspects a supernatural force might be behind his death.
Then Lily's familiar, Oscar, disappears. Lily will do anything to get him back—including battling the spirit of a powerful witch reaching out from the past. But even with the aid of her grandmother, unmasking a killer and saving Oscar might be more than one well-intentioned sorceress can handle...
Tarnished and Torn
Book 5
As the owner of a popular vintage clothing store, Lily Ivory can enjoy a day of antique jewelry shopping and still call it work. But as one of San Francisco's resident witches, searching for hidden treasures can sometimes lead to dangerous discoveries...
When Lily arrives at an antique jewelry fair, her bargain sensors go off left and right—but she also picks up a faint vibration of magic. Could the hard-bargaining merchant Griselda be a fellow practitioner? It certainly seems that way when a sudden fire sends panic through the crowd, and Lily discovers Griselda murdered in a way that nods to an old-fashioned witch hunt...
A crime that hits close to home turns into an unwelcome flash from the past when the police bring in their lead suspect—Lily's estranged father. Though he may not deserve her help, Lily is determined to clear her father's name and solve a murder that's anything but crystal clear.
In a Witch's Wardrobe
Book 4
Lily Ivory is living her dream of owning a vintage clothing store—and practicing magic on the side. But when she encounters a sinister sleeping spell, Lily comes face-to-face with a nightmarish evil...
Taking a night off from running her successful San Francisco clothing store, Lily attends a local art deco ball where vintage fashions steal the show. But when a young woman at the event falls under a mysterious sleeping sickness, Lily senses that a curse was placed on the woman's corsage.
Before Lily can solve the woman's magical ailment, she's asked to assist in investigating a string of poisonings in the Bay Area Witchcraft community. She's gained the trust of the local covens by supporting women's charities through her clothing store. But soon, Lily suspects that one of her new acquaintances might not be so well intentioned and could be dabbling in dark magic and deadly botany...
Hexes and Hemlines
Book 3
With her vintage clothing store taking off, Lily Ivory is finding that life in San Francisco suits her just fine. But her ability to sense vibrations from the past, so useful in locating secondhand gems, has landed her in the middle of a new mystery...
Lily gets called away from Aunt Cora's Closet when the police need a witch's take on a strange case. Malachi Zazi was stabbed to death in his apartment, under a ladder, surrounded by the number thirteen, a broken mirror, and a black cat—superstitions that the victim, as head of a rationalist society, was devoted to discrediting.
When the police identify a suspect from the Serpentarian Society, Lily is shocked to learn it's someone she knows. But with bad luck plaguing all its members, she begins to wonder if there's more at work than mere coincidence. And while there aren't many clues from the crime scene, Lily finds evidence of dark witchcraft and a hex on her friend's doorstep. With her friend's safety at stake, Lily is determined to use magic to find the murderer before everyone's luck runs out...
A Cast Off Coven
Book 2
A National Bestseller
Students are spooked at the San Francisco School of Fine Arts, and Lily is called in to search for possible paranormal activity. In return she's been promised a trunkful of Victorian-era clothes recently discovered in a school storage closet.
But Lily finds something else: the body of a wealthy patron of the school. In between running the store and seeing her new boyfriend, Max—a "mythbuster" who is uncomfortable with her witchcraft—she uses her sleuthing skills to try to solve the murder. Soon Lily senses something from the school's vintage clothes, but it's not the smell of mothballs—it's the unmistakable aura of evil intent.
Secondhand Spirits
Book 1
Lily Ivory is not your average witch. Her spell-casting powers tend to draw mischievous spirits while keeping normal humans at a distance. But now her vintage clothing store could give her a chance to make friends in San Francisco....
Lily hopes for a normal life when she opens Aunt Cora's Closet. With her magical knack for vintage fashion -she can sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry—her store becomes a big hit.
But when a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area, Lily may be the only one who can unravel the crime. She tries to keep her identity a secret while investigating, but it's not easy—especially under the spells of sexy "mythbuster" Max Carmichael and powerful witch Aidan Rhodes. Will Lily's witchy ways be forced out of the closet?
=====
Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries
"Juliet Blackwell splendidly synthesizes sass, spooks, and supernatural."
—Blogcritics
Melanie Turner, a failed anthropologist, takes over her father's company, Turner Construction, which specializes in renovating historic homes in the San Francisco Bay Area. But when Mel starts seeing—and communicating with—ghosts on her job sites, she realizes she just might be able to unlock the secrets of the past, as well as help solve a few modern-day murders.
A Ghostly Light
A Ghostly Light
Book 7
Available July 4, 2017!
It will take a beacon of ghostly intervention to guide contractor Mel Turner to the truth...
When her friend Alicia hires Turner Construction to renovate a historic lighthouse in the San Francisco Bay, Mel Turner can’t wait to get her hands dirty. Alicia plans to transform the island property into a welcoming inn, and while Mel has never attempted a project so ambitious—or so tall—before, she’s definitely up for the challenge.
But trouble soon arises when Alicia’s abusive ex-husband shows up to threaten both her and Mel, and later turns up dead at the base of the lighthouse stairs. With no other suspects in sight, things start looking choppy for Alicia. Now, if Mel wants to clear her friend’s name, she’ll need the help of the lighthouse’s resident ghosts to shine a light on the real culprit...
Give Up the Ghost
Give Up the Ghost
Book 6
San Francisco contractor and ghost whisperer Mel Turner must solve a murder mystery at a haunted mansion in the Pacific Heights...
San Francisco millionaire Andrew Flynt wants to sell his Victorian mansion, but ghostly music, the squeaking of a long-disappeared weathervane, and an angry ghost keep running off potential buyers. After a famous psychic is called in, she informs the Flynts that their multi-million-dollar renovations to "update" the home have left its resident ghost extremely agitated. So contractor Mel Turner is engaged to track down and replace some of the original features of the house.
But when the beautiful psychic is found stabbed, it appears someone had a very human motive for murder. Now Mel must use her ghost whispering gift to uncover the secrets of the haunted house on the hill, and her sleuthing skills to catch a killer.
Keeper of the Castle
Keeper of the Castle
Book 5
Mel Turner gets hired for a job that's to die for.
Lately, Mel has been worried about finding enough historic renovation work to pay the bills. But while Turner Construction is in need of a project, Mel's boyfriend, Graham, has his hands full managing the reconstruction of an ancient building shipped over from Scotland.
With the job plagued by rumors that the stones are cursed, Graham brings in Mel to look for paranormal activity. And while the ghost of a charming Scottish clansman does seem to be hanging around the site, the real shock comes when they stumble upon a body.
When the original construction crew starts running scared, Mel brings in her team to finish the job. Now all she has to do is nail down the killer, and put the spirits to rest, before anyone else winds up heading for the highlands...
Home for the Haunting
Home for the Haunting
Book 4
No good deed goes unpunished.
San Francisco contractor Mel Turner has agreed to lead a volunteer home renovation project. And while she expects lots of questions from her inexperienced crew, she can't help asking a few of her own—especially about the haunted house next door...the place local kids call the Murder House.
But when a few volunteers discover a body while cleaning out a shed, questions pile up faster than discarded lumber. Mel notices a few signs of ghostly activity next door and she wonders—are the Murder House ghosts reaching out to her for help? It's up to Mel to investigate murders both past and present before a spooky killer finishes another job.
Murder on the House
Murder on the House
Book 3
Bed and Breakfast...with a side of ghosts.
Since word has spread that contractor Mel Turner can communicate with the spirits of the dead, it's been difficult to maintain a low profile. She embraces her new reputation, however, for the chance to restore an historic house in San Francisco's Castro District. The new owners, who hope to run a haunted B&B, want Mel to encourage the ghosts that supposedly roam the halls to enhance the paranormal charm.
The catch: Mel has to spend one night in the house to win the project. But during the spine-chilling sleepover, the estate gains another spectral inhabitant—when someone doesn't survive the night. And as Mel tries to coax the resident spirits into revealing the identity of the killer, she risks becoming the next casualty of this dangerous renovation.
Dead Bolt
Dead Bolt
Book 2
General Contractor Melanie Turner's latest restoration is a historic Queen Anne Victorian in San Francisco's Cow Hollow neighborhood. Trouble is, she'll have to work around the owners, the Daley family, who refuse to leave during the construction. But when eerie things start happening around the site, the Daleys threaten to call off the renovation for fear the work is disrupting ghosts who live on the property.
But the ghosts aren't the only ones getting in the way of the renovation. The Daley's neighbors aren't exactly thrilled by the muss and fuss of the construction project. When Mel's father finds a dead body, Mel must tack on one more task to her growing to-do list. She has to finish the job, bring the house back from the brink, and complete her greatest renovation project yet: restoring her reputation...
If Walls Could Talk
If Walls Could Talk
Book 1
National Bestseller
Since she took over her father's construction business, Mel Turner's made quite a name for herself remodeling historic houses in the San Francisco Bay Area. But now her reputation may be on the line.
At her newest renovation project, a run-down Pacific Heights mansion, Mel is visited by the ghost of a colleague who recently met a bad end with power tools. Mel hopes that by tracking down the killer, she can rid herself of the ghostly presence of the murdered man.
Mel's only clue is an odd box she discovers inside a wall at the job site. If she can make sense of its mysterious contents, she might be able to nail a killer—before she herself becomes the next construction casualty...
=====
Art Lover's Mysteries
(Writing as Hailey Lind)
"[Annie] draws trouble like Warhol drew money."
—The Virginian Pilot
Annie Kincaid, an ex-art forger trying to go straight by working as a muralist and faux finisher in San Francisco, gets drawn back into the world of frauds, forgery, and fakes...and murder.
Arsenic and Old Paint
Arsenic and Old Paint
Book 4
Former art forger Annie Kincaid has been operating a legitimate decorative painting business for quite a while, but memories are long in the art world. Now, with the blessing of the FBI Art Squad, Annie's using her underworld connections to boost her new art investigation business, where she's partnered with none other than ex-art thief/ love interest Michael X. Johnson. She moves easily between high and low social circles as she makes the rounds of San Francisco and Bay Area locales, including tunnels beneath the pavements of Nob Hill and Chinatown; the homes and hideouts-even a downtown sex club-of the rich and famous; and the artists' studios South of Market. At first it's strictly business: an insurance adjuster asks her to find a stolen (and forged) erotic painting, and her sexy landlord Frank has her track down a missing bronze statue. But when Annie stumbles across a body in an exclusive Nob Hill men's club, and her Uncle Anton is attacked, Annie's on the trail of more than just art. This time, she's looking for justice.
Brush with Death
Brush with Death
Book 3
Working nights to restore murals in a building full of cremated remains is strange enough, but chasing a crypt-robbing ghoul through a graveyard is downright creepy. In Brush with Death, San Francisco artist Annie Kincaid finds herself drawn into a decades-old mystery involving some illustrious graveyard residents and Raphael's most intimate portrait, dubbed La Fornarina, or "the little baker girl". Could the Raphael "copy" hanging amidst funerary urns actually be the priceless original? Is the masked crypt-robber somehow connected to the Raphael? Or is the painting part of a larger puzzle involving Annie's unrepentant grandfather, master art forger Georges LeFleur, and an Italian "fakebuster" out to ruin him? Annie's under pressure to figure things out...before she finds her permanent home amongst the ashes.
Shooting Gallery
Dead Bolt
Book 2
Modernism isn't Annie's thing, but even she is surprised to discover that the "sculpture" in a prestigious gallery's grisly new exhibition is an all-too-real corpse—the artist's. Meanwhile, a Chagall painting is stolen from the Brock Museum, and Annie's old friend Bryan is accused of being in on the fix. To track down the missing Chagall, she'll need the dubious assistance of a certain sexy art thief. And if Michael—or whatever his real name may be—isn't distraction enough, Annie's mother shows up in town, acting strangely. Annie's got to solve these mysteries, and fast—because art is long, but life can be very, very short.
Feint of Art
Feint of Art
Book 1
Agatha Award nominee
Annie's got bad news for her ex-boyfriend, curator Ernst Pettigrew; The snooty Brock Museum's new fifteen-million-dollar Caravaggio painting is as fake as a three-dollar bill. Then, the same night Annie makes her shattering appraisal, the janitor on duty in the museum is killed—and Ernst disappears. To top it all off, a well-known art dealer has absconded with multiple Old Master drawings, leaving forgeries in their places. Finding the originals and pocketing the reward money will help Annie get her landlord off her back. But a close encounter with a fickle yet charming art thief could draw her into the underworld of fakes and forgers she swore she'd left behind...
=====
‘Paris Key’ unlocks family secrets
By John WilkensContact Reporter Europe
photo
Juliet Blackwell
Juliet Blackwell has master’s degrees in anthropology and social work and held jobs in both fields before turning to writing. Her newest novel, “The Paris Key,” is about a Bay Area woman who flees a broken marriage to France, where she takes over her uncle’s locksmith shop.
Soon she’s immersed in family secrets, and has to decide which doors to her past are worth opening.
Blackwell was born and raised in the San Francisco area and lives there now, in a 100-year-old house. She’ll be in San Diego Tuesday for an Adventures by the Book dinner, a ticketed event
(adventuresbythebook.com; 619-300-2532).
Q: Tell me how the various jobs you’ve had shaped you as a writer?
A: That’s an interesting question. I think essentially all of them are about observing human beings and trying to figure them out.
Q: When you had those other jobs, were you writing on the side?
A: I wasn’t. I came to writing kind of late. I’ve been an artist all my life, I’ve been a painter, which is also about observing the world around us. The writing is something I came to I guess in my 30s.
A friend of mine says that I told her once in college that I was going to be a writer. I don’t remember that at all. But I was raised in a world of books = an aunt and an uncle both owned bookstores – and there’s always been a love of reading in the family.
Q: You’ve had success writing mysteries. What made you switch this time to something that’s more literary fiction?
A: I’ve been spending a lot of time in France the last few years, and I really wanted to set a book there. One time when I was in Paris I stumbled across this little locksmith shop. I went in and I talked to the owner and he had all these ancient keys. We had a wonderful conversation.
I didn’t understand how old locks were and what a history they had. There’s a lot of mythology and lore around them. I couldn’t get this man’s shop out of mind. I thought about maybe doing a mystery in Paris, but the story that was coalescing in my mind wasn’t a mystery. It was more a story about reinvention.
Q: You’ve tapped into that urge a lot of people have to start over. Was there something going on in your own life that got you thinking about that?
A: It is a subject that has always interested me. Maybe that’s where social work and anthropology come in. You see all of these different ways that people live and you try to put yourself in their place.
I was divorced about 20 years ago. As divorces go, it wasn’t particularly traumatic but I think divorce is always painful and always difficult. It is a big shock to the system. And it brings up a lot of questions. Is this what I want? Do I want to use this as a jumping-off point?
I moved across country and kind of did reinvent myself. That’s when I made the change from anthropology and social work and became a full-time artist.
photo
Q: Tell me about the decision to use locks and locksmithing as metaphors for what’s going on in the characters’ lives.
A: I think it was just the discussion I had with the old locksmith about the history of locks and some of the mythology that got me thinking. I was just fascinated. I’m someone who’s always lived in old homes and been around old locks. I’ve been intrigued by the aesthetics of keys. And when you look at the number of stories that deal with locks opening doors, or not opening doors, it just seemed like a fun jumping-off point.
Q: Did you work on some locks as part of your research?
A: I did. I’m not very good at it, I admit. I gained a lot of respect for people who are able to pick locks. A couple of locksmiths helped me. They gave me locks to work on. They could open them in about 20 seconds. It took me hours and hours.
You can actually feel the vibration, feel the void, and create this map in your head of where the voids and the pins are. That’s what makes it an art, because it’s a blind process and it’s a matter of feeling your way through.
Q: Maybe if somebody gets locked out of a car at your event here you could help.
A: I wish I could say yes. I’m perhaps a little better than the average Joe off the street, but I don’t think I’d be the first person to call.
Q: Your book is also about family secrets. What intrigues you about that?
A: I’m always interested in family secrets. My mother was the youngest of 11 in a big Southern family. I don’t know if it’s because they’re from the South or what, but boy that family is chock full of stories.
I find it fascinating that something can start rolling 100 years ago and we’re still feeling it today, still feeling the repercussions. The person we call brother who in fact was someone else’s son. Hidden pregnancies, hidden suicides. There are all these traumas, and how people deal with them tells us something about the time and place.
Q: The protagonist has retained these deeply happy memories of Paris, a place she visited when she was a teen. Is there a place that affected you the same way?
A: Well, the uncle who is in the book is based on my Uncle Dave, who owned a bookstore in Galveston, Texas. I spent a couple of summers down there with cousins and I have charming memories of Dave and his wife. She was from Paris, as a matter of fact, and Dave was there in World War II and met her.
They opened a used bookstore in Galveston. I would spend hours and hours and pick any book that I wanted. It’s not much like my character’s experience in Paris but I really do have similar sorts of nostalgia for it.
Q: You mentioned earlier that you live in an old house. Old houses, old locks – what is it with you and old things?
A: I love the sense of history. I don’t watch television. I’m not a techie kind of person. If I hold something in my hand, the idea that other people and sometimes generations of people have held it, too – to me it’s a very magical feeling. I love the fact that other people have been there before.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW, PARANORMAL MYSTERY
Published on January 25, 2015 Comments 2
Curandera: Interview with Juliet Blackwell
written by parayournormal
latina witchcraft
Today we interview Juliet Blackwell, author of the Witch Mystery and Haunted Home series of cozy mystery novels about witchcraft with a Latin American flavor.
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PYN: In your Witchcraft Mystery series, your heroine’s witchcraft is flavored by her Hispanic heritage. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Juliet Blackwell: I worked as an anthropologist and studied medical anthropology, so I was looking at systems of healthcare all around the world. My specialty was Latin America. So when I first decided to write the series, it’s largely because I had an interest in that area and the folk healing, botanicals, and witchcraft that comes out of it. On top of that, my mother-in-law at the time was from a small, traditional village in Central Mexico and is full of information. She’s got a million folk beliefs about medical care, and as I was raising my son, she was always full of interesting stories about what to do and how. I kind of took it from there. The character in the Witchcraft Mysteries who plays Graciela, the grandmother, is based on her.
On top of everything else, it’s a culture I’m close to. I live in California and my mother’s from Texas, and there’s a whole lot of Latino stuff going on.
PYN: Is “bruja” the right word to describe your heroine, Lily Ivory?
JB: “Bruja” means witch. And like a lot of cultures, there’s a word for witch and a word for healer. Calling someone a “bruja” is an insult. But “curandera” means healer.
PYN: I realize this is a huge question, but what makes Latina witchcraft different from the European variety?
JB: It’s based on different traditions. Even within European witchcraft you have very different traditions – you have the Italian, which is different than the German, which is different from the Celtic. Witchcraft is usually based on the history of the place.
You can’t even really say “Latina witchcraft.” In parts of Mexico you have certain beliefs more common than others.
A lot of the imagery that we’re familiar with more typically in this country comes out of Celtic beliefs, such as the Green Man. But in Mexico, you get a lot of old deities that probably go back to pagan times, to Pre-Columbian beliefs. You find a lot of gods that transform, for example transforming from snakes to human and back. There’s an Aztec god, for example, who skins his victims and wears the skin. Transformation is a big theme, that things transform from one thing to another. And this idea of transformation is actually common in a lot of folk beliefs. So frogs, for example, are considered magical because they transform from a fish to a frog. The same is true for butterflies, for anything that goes from one status to another. That’s very true in Mexico. A lot of people are very superstitious about frogs, because if you come across a frog, it may encapsulate another being you’ve just killed.
PYN: One of the most lively characters in your Witchcraft Mysteries is the witch’s familiar, Oscar. What’s the role of the witch’s familiar in general and of Oscar in particular?
JB: I love Oscar. One very typical belief that seems to follow witches in a lot of different cultures – I’ve seen it in England, Africa, Europe and America – is the idea of a familiar, the idea that a witch would normally have an animal. Usually, the familiar we think of most is the black cat, but a famliar could be any kind of animal. And the animals are often associated with nighttime, such as an owl or cat, or frog.
The idea was that animals are closer to the spirit world, so they’re sort of a conduit or connection that helps the witch. Also, they‘re also believed to do reconnaissance work for witches. For example, a cat could sneak in and listen to someone’s conversation and then report to the witch. Also, they’re considered to boost the witch’s power when she brews or is doing magic. In the old days in Europe, when they were burning witches, they would use this as a way to prove someone was a witch. If she was sitting in prison and an insect came by, they’d say “that’s her familiar come to visit her.” So it was a way to condemn witches as well. Often those condemned of witchcraft were women who lived alone with cats or farm animals, and those were considered to be their familiars.
When I was setting up the idea for the book, I wanted to do something more interesting than the black cat. And I’d just read about the strong European tradition of using pigs as familiars. Way back when, it was considered a big deal to disturb the earth, to dig around, to disturb the roots – it was only something a qualified person, a healer, would do. And I think it’s probably based in the fact that so many roots are poisonous. When pigs go out, when they go wild, they root around in the ground and pull up roots. They have really good noses, so they find things. For this reason, the pig familiar was often linked with a healer witch, a witch who did a lot of botanics. So when I was trying to think of a good familiar for Lily, I thought a pig would be fun. And my housemate is fond of miniature pot-bellied pigs. But then of course, it’s always fun in a mystery, especially one written in the first-person, to have someone your protagonist can talk to, who can respond to her ideas, because you want more input instead of being in her head all the time. I wanted a familiar she could actually talk to. And that’s how Oscar was born. I decided he could transform into a creature Lily could talk to, because I’m fascinated by that transformative thing.
PYN: How do you research your books?
JB: I really enjoy the research because it’s so much fun. It’s a subject I’m fascinated with, and it’s no burden for me to read a lot about a subject I’m interested in. I read books. I read on the Internet. And then, when I was first starting the series, I went to several coven meetings that allowed visitors. I also interviewed a few witches, and a gypsy fortune teller at one point, though that last is more for my Haunted Home series. For that I talked with ghost busters and psychics.
Part of my research technique is based on my training as an anthropologist. In anthropology, you talk to people and observe. I also speak a lot with the Mexican side of the family and get their stories as well.
PYN: What can we expect to see next from you?
JB: The witchcraft series is continuing, and Spellcasting and Silk comes out in July. I think that’s #7 in the series. And then I have another Haunted Home mystery. They always come out In December, and the next is called, Give Up the Ghost. And then I also have a non-mystery novel coming out in September, which will be called, The Paris Key. That’s about an American woman who inherits her uncle’s locksmith shop in Paris. She changes her life and moves to Paris. The Paris Key is different for me, because I’ve never written a straight novel before. It’s got some mysterious aspects, but it’s not a genre mystery. As most authors know, it’s important to mix it up a little.
About Juliet:
juliet blackwellJuliet Blackwell has been fascinated with witchcraft, alternative healing, and spirits of all kinds ever since her favorite aunt visited and read her tea leaves…with astonishing results.
Blackwell is the New York Times bestselling author of the Witchcraft Mystery series, which features a misfit witch with a vintage clothing store in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury neighborhood; and of the Haunted Home Renovation series –in which Mel Turner, a restorer of historic homes, finds ghosts behind the walls. Under the pseudonym Hailey Lind, Juliet penned the Art Lover’s Mystery series with her sister Carolyn–including the Agatha-nominated Feint of Art. Arsenic and Old Paint is the latest in that series.
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2012
Author Interview - Juliet Blackwell
Juliet Blackwell is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors, and she was one of the first to give me an interview when I first started my blog (click here)! She is the NYT bestselling author of the Haunted Home Renovation mystery series (If Walls Could Talk (click here), Dead Bolt (click here), Murder on the House (I will be reviewing soon)) and the Witchcraft mystery series (Secondhand Spirits (click here), A Cast-off Coven (click here), Hexes and Hemlines (click here), In a Witch’s Wardrobe (click here)). As Hailey Lind, Juliet penned the Art Lover’s Mystery series (click here), including Agatha-nominated Feint of Art.
A former anthropologist and social worker, Juliet has worked and studied in Mexico, Spain, Cuba, Italy, the Philippines, and France. She now lives in a happily haunted house in Oakland, California, where she is a muralist and portrait painter. She was a two-term president of Northern California Sisters in Crime.
Why do you write? Do you love it or love having done it? What motivates you?
Well, I certainly love “having done it”! There’s nothing quite like the feeling of holding one’s own published book in one’s hand…it’s an amazing sense of accomplishment. As an avid reader myself, it’s such a thrill to see my book on the shelf, next to my favorite authors!
But I also love the process of writing. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t continue with this job– it’s not the easiest way to make a living. Most of writing is hard work. It can be difficult – nearly impossible—to be creative-on-demand, but deadlines must be met. The pay is low, the hours long, and we develop carpal-tunnel syndrome and neck-aches and backaches…and YET it’s the best job in the world! I adore spending so much time in my own head, with my characters, spinning tales, setting different scenes, and fashioning distinct scenarios. For months at a time, it’s just me and the world I’ve built…it’s addicting!
And the absolute BEST part is when the story seems to take off without me. It can feel as though I’m channeling my characters; in fact, the whole invented world. Hours can fly by without my realizing it, because I’m so caught up in the story. I am also a painter, so I recognize the feeling as that of tapping into my creativity without constraint…and boy, is that addictive! It’s like a writer’s high
What is your routine when you're facing your next novel? Do you start your next mystery with the killer, the victim or a plot idea?
I don’t actually have a routine; it’s different for each book. I get a lot of ideas when I read the news, or while I’m researching ghost stories and the like. For instance, recently I was noticing how often bodies are found, naturally mummified, in buildings that have been foreclosed upon. Disturbing…and yet strangely fascinating for someone who writes about haunted homes!
But one of the great things about writing series fiction is that the characters are set up in the first novel of the series, and then develop from there. They often inform the plot, since they react in specific manners to the challenges they’ll be facing. And every once in a while I’ll run into someone who makes me think: “He would make a great victim” or “She would make a great villain”. I love incorporating bits and pieces of daily life into my stories.
Do you outline the plot or some variation of that (a little/a lot of detail, a strict 3 act structure etc.) before sitting down and writing?
I’m more a “seat of my pants” author, because I love to let the story flow and develop organically. That said, I usually have a good synopsis of the book ahead of time, including the main crime, the victim, and the killer. This doesn’t mean that all of that –especially the killer!—might not change as I write, but I like to start with some set ideas.
My newest writing technique is that after the first rough draft I write a sort of backwards outline, working from the finished story. As I look at that skeleton I can more clearly see where the story might need more action, or where to insert clues, that sort of thing. It has been working well for me!
Mel Turner (Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries) and Lily Ivory (Witchcraft Mysteries) are each unique and interesting characters, and the rest of the crew is great as well. What is your process for developing a character? Do you use pictures, a worksheet or just let the character(s) tell you about him/herself as you write? How do you handle minor characters?
I’m all about developing characters – they are, by far, my most favorite part of any story. My main characters almost always just come to me as I write, and yes, they do “tell me about themselves” as I am progressing in the story! In writing workshops I tell students that if they’ve reached a point in their novel where action just stops, it’s often because they are trying to force a character to do something s/he wouldn’t do. It’s amazing how characters can come alive, and put on the brakes when they’re not comfortable!
It’s crucial to have a developed backstory for one’s characters. They need to be rounded and three-dimensional, and real humans base much of their perspective on the world and their actions on their past experiences. So whether or not that backstory comes out in the novel, it makes a difference in how they react to the situations at hand. I think about own life, and people I’ve known, good friends and family…and I extract my characters from all of those real-life personages.
For the minor and secondary characters I often cut pictures from magazines and make a collage to refer to as I write. That way I can remember each one of them visually, as one might see minor characters walking on and off the screen in a movie. I think that makes the descriptions richer, even when they’re concise.
What do you and Mel Turner (Haunted Home Renovation Mysteries) and Lily Ivory (Witchcraft Mysteries) have in common? How are you different?
Mel and I have a good deal in common-- I have to remind my friends and family often that “she’s not ME!” But it’s true that Mel’s dad is based on mine, her stepson is inspired by my son, and the dog is basically my dog. Also, I worked on construction sites for many years as a decorative painter, so the situations Mel finds herself in are usually based on houses I worked on, and the clients are often taken from true experiences.
Lily (from the Witchcraft series) and I have less in common, yet ultimately I have no doubt that ALL characters share something with their authors. Obviously, I am reaching into part of me to develop Lily, even though she is a natural-born witch, whereas I am not. But she is from West Texas, from a town inspired by my grandfather’s home town (my mother’s huge family is Texan to the core!) And I’ve given her many attributes of powerful, magical women I met over the years when I was working as an anthropologist. I was able to meet healers of all types when I studied and taught medical anthropology, and Lily has a bit of many of them folded in to her. Finally, my favorite aunt used to read cards and tea leaves, and my mother-in-law is from a small village in Mexico and is a font of great knowledge regarding botanicals, and has a magical view of the world. So they’re all part of Lily!
Do you have anything special you do before writing, particular music or a special room/location that helps you get in the zone and write?
I used to be much pickier about my writing surroundings, and my favorite place to write is still an alcove off my bedroom, which is on the second story and overlooks a huge oak tree. I feel far from the world there, safe to go on my creative journeys! But I travel so much these days that I’ve gotten better at writing no matter where I am: on airplanes, at conferences, when I’m visiting my dad, while on book tours…it really is my job, so I sit down and write every day, pretty much no matter what.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing and how long does it take you to write a book? How has writing two mystery series simultaneously impacted your schedule?
My books come out once a year, each series every six months. So I write Lily for six months, and Mel for the next six. As I mentioned above, I write pretty much every day, a minimum of two thousand words when I’m writing the rough draft. And then there’s editing, of course, and re-writing, and research, and thinking through plot, and finessing the language and style… Writing two books a year -- along with conferences and teaching and appearances and social media and other promotions-- means that I have to be sure not to fall behind, because I’d never catch up! I think some people are surprised to see how businesslike I am about getting my words done, but my fellow authors know the feeling, I’m sure.
How did you pick your setting and how do you like to interject a sense of place?
I stick to San Francisco because I know it well – and also because it is such a quirky, interesting, diverse city! It really does become like a character in its own right. I like to introduce people to the parts of the<< city tourists don’t often see>>: <
What in your background prepared you to write mysteries?
I read! Like a fiend. As a girl I read all the time, favoring Trixie Beldon and the Three Investigators– both are mystery series written for young people. As I grew, I kept reading, and no matter what I was doing through the years –anthropology or social work or painting –I always had a book in my bag. Finally, I thought I’d try my hand at it – and I didn’t give up until I had a full manuscript, which became my first book, FEINT OF ART under the name Hailey Lind.
In literature (not your own) who is your favorite mystery/suspense character?
Vicky Bliss, of the Vicky Bliss mysteries by Elizabeth Peters. Right after I graduated from Young Adult fiction to grown-up mysteries, I stumbled up on Elizabeth Peters, who also writes paranormal mysteries under the name Barbara Michaels. Vicky Bliss is educated, sassy, smart, strong, and funny. She was a wonderful role model.
Which author has influenced or inspired you the most?
Ha! Given what I just wrote above, I guess I have to say Elizabeth Peters! Seriously, since I read (and loved) her so early in life, she was a huge influence on me. She has a wonderful way of telling a story, and her plots are smart and adventurous, and usually center around items of historical value.
What's the one thing a reader has said that you've never forgotten and perhaps found startling?
Several readers have told me my books are their “sick” read –they read them while in bed with a cold, in the hospital, or recovering from surgery. I’m not absolutely sure what that says about my writing, but I’ve decided to take it as a compliment!
Tell us your thoughts on the growing genre of paranormal mysteries and its popularity (i.e. is it here to stay or a fad, is it pushing the mystery genre envelope etc?)
I mentioned Barbara Michaels earlier, and I’d like to bring her up again, because she was writing paranormal mysteries in the 1970s and 80s. Though there weren’t a lot of other authors writing in the genre at the time, I’m sure she’s not the only example from the era. The fascination with paranormal themes is not new – in fact, we could look back at the tales of Dracula and Frankenstein to show that interest has run deep for a long time. In the mystery genre, I think it’s only natural authors would start incorporating paranormal themes since they are, almost by definition, cloaked in mystery! Whether or not you really believe in ghosts or the supernatural, they lend themselves to murder mysteries because they bring in that extra element of surprise and the unknown.
Tell us about your next book in the series - or next project? What is your biggest challenge with it?
At the moment I’m writing the fourth in the Haunted Home series, called Home for the Haunting (to be released December, 2013). I’m enjoying the story because it is based on a volunteer renovation project for the elderly and disabled I participated in for many years – I often base my novels in stories from my past, and it’s fun to visit those memories and incorporate some of the funny experiences into Mel’s world. My biggest challenge at the moment is finishing it during the holidays!
The next book to be released after Murder on the House will be Tarnished and Torn, the fifth in the Witchcraft Mystery series, which comes out July 3, 2013. In it, Lily is on the trail of a magical fire opal talisman…the story was great fun to write because I got to learn all about opals!
Do you have a newsletter or blog for readers to stay informed of your news?
I do! Visit me at www.julietblackwell.net; http://www.facebook.com/JulietBlackwellAuthor; and Twitter @JulietBlackwell. Also, if readers put their name on my mailing list (on the contact page of my website), I send out
newsletters from time to time.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
Thank you Ms. Blackwell for that great interview. I think the people turning to your book when they are sick is definitely a compliment. It is comfort reading that gets their mind off being sick - like comfort food. I have not read any Barbara Michaels, so I have a new author to check out. They do sound great.
Letters from Paris
Emily Borsa
Booklist.
112.22 (Aug. 1, 2016): p40.
COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
Letters from Paris. By Juliet Blackwell. Sept. 2016. 384p. Berkley, paper, $15 (9780451473707).
Best-selling author Blackwell (The Paris Key, 2015) brings us another captivating tale from the City of Light. Claire Broussard leaves behind her
life in Chicago to be with her ailing grandmother, Mammaw, in Louisiana. Claire rediscovers an old mask from Paris in the attic that her greatgrandfather
had sent home during WWII called L'Inconnue--or the Unknown Woman. Claire is intrigued by the story behind the mask, and
Mammaw encourages her to find answers. After Mammaw's death, Claire tracks down the atelier where the mask was originally made and travels
to Paris. Claire finds that a brusque mask maker, Armand, may be her only guide to more information about L'Inconnue. Another mystery waiting
for Claire is how much Paris will reveal about her own past and family secrets. Alternating between the present time, with Claire's search for
history, and the story of Sabine, an artist's model during the Belle Epoque, this romantic and picturesque novel shows us that even the most
broken people can find what makes them whole again.--Emily Borsa
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Borsa, Emily. "Letters from Paris." Booklist, 1 Aug. 2016, p. 40. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA460761717&it=r&asid=c85dc76f87d3f392237288aab2faa503. Accessed 25 Apr.
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A460761717
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Blackwell, Juliet. The Paris Key
Brooke Bolton
Library Journal.
140.14 (Sept. 1, 2015): p90.
COPYRIGHT 2015 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
Blackwell, Juliet. The Paris Key. NAL. Sept. 2015. 384p. ISBN 9780451473691. pap. $15; ebk. ISBN 9780698186033. F
As a child, Genevieve Martin spent a wonderful summer in Paris at her uncle's locksmith shop, recovering from her mother's death. While falling
in love with the city, she also learned tricks of the locksmith trade. Now, grown up and on the verge of divorce, Genevieve returns to Paris after
her uncle's death. While she enjoys spending her time in the city she never stopped loving, and begins to work through her uncle's life in locks
and keys, she uncovers mysteries about her family that will change everything she thought she knew. Mystery author Blackwell's (Spellcasting in
Silk) foray into women's fiction starts off a little slowly, but eventually unravels the backstory of Genevieve's mother, and at that point, readers
will become more invested. The cast of Parisian characters makes the story all the better. VERDICT This is a <
purchase, especially for Francophiles and those who enjoy Paris settings.--Brooke Bolton, Boonville-Warrick Cty. P.L., IN
Bolton, Brooke
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Bolton, Brooke. "Blackwell, Juliet. The Paris Key." Library Journal, 1 Sept. 2015, p. 90. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA426999061&it=r&asid=ee4ba3a14b25103205a63d87548c5e15. Accessed 25 Apr.
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A426999061
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Letters from Paris
Publishers Weekly.
263.29 (July 18, 2016): p181.
COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Letters from Paris
Juliet Blackwell. Berkley, $15 trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-0-451-47370-7
Blackwell's (The Paris Key) excellent new novel follows Claire Broussard, who leaves her complacent life in Chicago to visit her dying
grandmother in Louisiana, then travels to Paris to unravel a secret at her behest. Claire has long been fascinated by a broken plaster mask of a
beautiful woman that she found as a child in her grandmother's attic. Claire traces the mask to the Parisian studio where it was made and finds
herself quickly enmeshed with Armand, the grumpy-but-intriguing owner, and his amiable cousin Giselle. The pair offer Claire, who is bilingual,
a job dealing with American customers in exchange for room and board while she decides what to do next. The heroine and the handsome
curmudgeon immediately bristle at one another, but they warm to each other gradually as Claire learns more about the mask and the family
behind the studio. <
from the point of view of Sabine--the poor country girl behind the mystery, who became the muse of an abusive sculptor after a life of poverty
Blackwell does a fantastic job of incorporating recurring themes in this story; for instance, having survived drowning as a child, Claire is wary of
rivers, while Sabine is rumored to have met her end in the Seine. Blackwell especially stuns in the aftermath of the main story by unleashing a
twist that is both a complete surprise and a point that expertly ties everything together. (Sept.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Letters from Paris." Publishers Weekly, 18 July 2016, p. 181+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA459287490&it=r&asid=2b4a777715385399bd13720faf16483e. Accessed 25 Apr.
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A459287490
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France now & then
Library Journal.
141.13 (Aug. 1, 2016): p84.
COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
Blackwell, Juliet. Letter from Paris. Berkley. Sept. 2016. 384p. ISBN 9780451473707. pap. $15; ebk. ISBN 9780698186040. F
Claire Broussard's life has always had a little mystery. Sometimes figurines would talk to her if she concentrated just right. And her grandfather
always referred to her as a miracle, since she survived an accident that took her mother's life. But the Louisiana transplant is tired of Chicago.
When Mammaw falls ill, Claire moves back home. There she finds an old mask of a young woman while repairing her grandmother's house.
Mammaw tells her to visit the shop in Paris where the mask was made to learn its secrets. She locates the shop, run by a grouchy Parisian, and
finds work translating for English and American tourists. Eventually, Claire learns more about the enigmatic woman behind the mask, who is also
a great mystery in Paris. Working closely with maskmaker Armand, Claire discovers <
feel an attraction. VERDICT Blackwell (The Paris Key) has woven a great tale of mystery, artistry, history, and a little romance. With plenty of
backstory and tidbits about Parisian life in the 19th century, there's something for everyone in this recommended read.--Brooke Bolton,
Boonville-Warrick Cty. P.L., IN
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Madeleine, Laura. The Confectioner's Tale. Thomas Dunne: St. Martin's. Sept. 2016. 336p. ISBN 9781250100542. $25.99; ebk. ISBN
9781250100559. F
Petra Stevenson is completing the research begun by her recently deceased grandfather, J.G. Stevenson, on the Belle Epoque, a period of Western
European history from 1871 to 1914. She is competing with biographer Simon Hall, who has been given access to Grandpa Jim's papers by her
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estranged father. Simon reveals in a public lecture that J.G. Stevenson was no saint; Petra works furiously to disprove his statement. As the
deadline for Petra's research looms, she travels around France to find out more about Grandpa Jim. She uncovers a love story within the walls of
Patisserie Clermont between Guilluame du Frere, a former railwayman who becomes a pastry apprentice, and Mademoiselle Jeanne Clermont,
who oversees the pastry shop for her wealthy father. Tension builds across time in the alternating chapters of this cozy romance as Petra races to
learn her grandfather's secrets, uncover a story of star-crossed lovers, and meet her research deadline. VERDICT Baker and debut author
Madeleine's skillful writing sustains the reader's interest across the 70-year timespan of the novel.--Joyce Sparrow, Kenneth City, FL
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"France now & then." Library Journal, 1 Aug. 2016, p. 84. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA459804982&it=r&asid=96feaa56c382a8aa892d0525dcbc0a91. Accessed 25 Apr.
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A459804982
---
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Dead Bolt: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery
Publishers Weekly.
258.43 (Oct. 24, 2011): p38.
COPYRIGHT 2011 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Dead Bolt: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery
Juliet Blackwell. NAL/Obsidian, $7.99 mass market (336p) ISBN 978-0-451-23530-5
In Blackwell's smooth, seductive second mystery featuring San Francisco historic house contractor Melanie Turner (after 2010's If Walls Could
Talk), something otherworldly is interfering with Mel's work on Jim and Katenka Daley's 1890s Queen Anne Victorian. Mel must also contend
with the elderly neighbor across the street, Emile Blunt, who's determined to buy the Daleys' house, even though it's not for sale. Mel's father,
himself a former contractor, tries to smooth things over with the crotchety Emile, only to find him shot dead the next day. Desperate to save her
character and her renovation from a murder, Mel may have to dig the truth up about yet another ghost before all is said and done. The return of
divorced Mel's old crush, green building expert Graham Donovan, adds romantic interest. Cozy fans will want to see a lot more of the endearing
Mel. (Dec.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Dead Bolt: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery." Publishers Weekly, 24 Oct. 2011, p. 38. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA271050690&it=r&asid=ad0a1aa9a53636b971993b2abea6dcc7. Accessed 25 Apr.
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A271050690
---
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Mystery
Teresa L. Jacobsen
Library Journal.
138.20 (Dec. 1, 2013): p71.
COPYRIGHT 2013 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
"THE THOUSAND YARD STARE" has become cultural shorthand for a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder, but it goes back further than
our current epidemic of victims. Jim Kelly references it in The Funeral Owl for his character who fought in the Korean War. They called it "shell
shock" in World War I, and Jonathan Hicks's characters suffer mightily in Demons Walk Among Us. World War II and its fallout haunt multiple
generations in Mary Malloy's The Wonder Chamber and Paul Johnston's The Black Life.
Small towns continue to harbor old hatreds, and just one event can trigger staggering levels of violence. Consider Terry Shames's The Last Death
of Jack Harbin for a Texas town heavily invested in football. Or Carol Miller's spunky debut, Murder and Moonshine, where the local brew can
kill. In Nantucket Sawbuck, Steven Axelrod suggests that old money and new might not mix well. Even on enchanted islands, there's always love
gone awry, according to Lillian Stewart Carl in The Avalon Chanter.
Hosting a murder mystery event at your library might still hold appeal (see Sandra Balzo's Murder on the Orient Espresso), but there are plenty of
other ways to dress up your author programming efforts in 2014. Vow to stay on top of author tours and speakers' bureaus this coming year;
regional chapters of Sisters in Crime or Mystery Writers of America always make excellent connections. Many authors love to Skype these days,
and if you haven't tried this with your mystery book group, why not? Not sure about it? Scroll through the list of author attendees for an
upcoming conference. Chicago's Love Is Murder (LovelsMurder.net) is next, February 7-9. The organization's website is particularly rich with
multiple news feeds, author interviews, and a newsletter (Kiss! Kiss! Bang! Bang!). Social animals, these authors.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
TOMB SURPRISES
Carl, Lillian Stewart. The Avalon Chanter: A Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron Mystery. Five Star: Gale. Jan. 2014. 332p. ISBN 9781432828042.
$25.95. M
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Pursuing a story for her travel magazine, Jean and her husband, retired cop Alasdair, cross just over the Scottish-English border into Northumbria
to visit a remote little island steeped in Arthurian legend. Jean is intrigued by Prof. Maggie Lauder's archaeo logical dig results while Alasdair
looks forward to a Scottish music get-together on the island. All plans are on hold, however, when a corpse is found--with his musical instrumentin
a tomb that should have held only ancient treasures. The emotional drama runs thick on the fogbound island as speculation mounts about the
victim. But it's not until the lead police investigator is killed that Jean and Alasdair realize that they could have a real problem in the here and
now. VERDICT The sixth entry in the cozy series (after The Blue Hackle), though full of fascinating Arthurian connections, stalls in the middle,
suffering from too many convoluted plot twists. Still, Carl's fondness for the mythology of the British Isles, a dash of ghost sighting, and the
region will work for armchair travel enthusiasts.
* Malloy, Mary. The Wonder Chamber: A Lizzie Manning Mystery. Leapfrog Pr. Jan. 2014. 288p. ISBN 9781935248422. pap. $15.95. M
Boston-based academic historian Lizzie is assembling an exhibit for her employer, displaying historical artifacts belonging to the Italian
American Gonzagas, a major donor's family. The project requires her to live in Bologna, Italy, consulting with family members and deciding
which items can travel safely to the United States. Unfortunately the elderly family member who controls the items has dementia and is prone to
accusative outbursts, making Lizzie feel very vulnerable. Nonetheless, she continues working and is stunned to find a corpse inside the
exhibition's showcase item, an Egyptian sarcophagus. And the corpse is not mummified. Lizzie has been reading old letters that shed insight into
the Gonzaga family's role during World War II, giving readers (and Lizzie) a good foreboding of the corpse's identity. Who killed her is murkier.
VERDICT A professor herself (museum studies, Harvard Univ.), Malloy demonstrates a real flair for weaving an engrossing historical puzzle into
her mystery plot. Carefully assembling her story, she gently reels us in. The author's third series entry (after Paradise Walk) is perfect for readers
craving an elaborate scheme.
CHECK THESE OUT
Axelrod, Steven. Nantucket Sawbuck: A Henry Kennis Mystery. Poisoned Pen. Jan. 2014. 304p. ISBN 9781464200878. $24.95; pap. ISBN
9781464200892. $14.95. M
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Privileged residents of the tony island of Nantucket never give much thought to the service personnel who populate their homes and businesses.
But when Preston Lomax, a particularly power-hungry mogul, dies violently in his bed, all bets are off as to who hated him the most. Rumors had
it that Lomax was planning soon to abandon all his domestic responsibilities and considerable debt, but someone put the kibosh on his plan.
Queue up, suspects. Nantucket's police chief, Henry Kennis, is new to the island, but he brings a wealth of experience from his stint as an LAPD
detective. Interviewing the islanders, Henry learns too much, and one person is definitely not afraid of authority figures. VERDICT Axelrod's
promising debut introduces a protagonist who will remind readers of Robert Parker's sleuths. The two-part story structure ("Premeditation" and
"Post Mortem") also gives readers an Ellery Queen type of opportunity to "help solve" the crime. A genial first-person narrative makes this police
procedural easy and fast.
Eccles, Marjorie. A Dangerous Deceit. Severn House. Dec. 2013. 220p. ISBN 9780727883223. $27.95. M
Improbably, dead bodies are piling up around the normally tranquil British village of Folbury in 1927. Perhaps Osbert Rees-Talbot's drowning
death in his bathtub was accidental. But the corpse left in a shallow grave on the estate of the Scroope family was not, nor was the denfise of Cpl.
Arthur Aston, who was found dead in his factory. DI Herbert Reardon, a detective with a maverick streak, and his eager young sergeant, Joe
Gilmour, pursue the thin leads. When they ascertain that the previously unidentified body is of a South African man, all signs point toward a Boer
War connection. Figuring out the specific motive takes longer since most folks are keen on saving face. But sins of the fathers--or, perhaps, the
mothers--have a way of catching up with their descendents eventually. VERDICT Veteran author Eccles's (After Clare) latest standalone
historical may use a familiar theme, but she cleverly intersperses her traditionally structured procedural plot with sharp observations about human
behavior. Perfect for the Doumton Abbey bunch.
Hicks, Jonathan. Demons Wail Among Us. Y Lolfa, dist. by Dufour. Dec. 2013. 336p. ISBN 9780956012593. pap. $16.95. M
No one likes a false hero, and military detective Capt. Thomas Oscendale is tasked with learning more about a certain Maj. Edmund Lucas, a
Welshman who keeps amassing medals of valor. Oscendale knows firsthand that Lucas is a coward and, worse, suspects the man of using friendly
fire to silence anyone who has witnessed his transgressions. The reader is witness also to grim confirmations of Oscendale's hunches, which span
a period of years and several battlefields. Concurrently, German spies have infiltrated the British lines, and Oscendale is one of their targets. If
that's not enough, someone is systematically torturing and killing war widows back in Wales. Hang on to your seats for a compelling read.
VERDICT The return of Hicks's talented World War I military Welsh detective (after The Dead of Mametz) is cause for celebration. While his
work is perhaps overstuffed with wartime incidents (the zeppelin bombing seems gratuitous), military historian Hicks once again vividly weaves
his expertise into a memorable procedural that exudes adventure and rewards justice.
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Johnston, Paul. The Black Life: The Sixth Alex Mavros Mystery. Creme de la Crime: Severn House. Dec. 2013. 248p. ISBN 9781780290485.
$28.95. M
Already under siege from an earlier case that has left a known assassin at large, Greek/ Scottish PI Alex Mavros has done everything possible to
keep his loved ones safe, but it's a slippery slope at best. He's about to take a case involving an apparent sighting of Aron Samuel, an elderly
Greek Sephardic Jew from Thessaloniki who was thought to have died in a World War II concentration camp. Hired by Aron's surviving younger
brother, Alex is irritated by his client's daughter, Rachel, and her insistence on accompanying him to the Macedonian region in northern Greece.
His wariness is justifiable; readers know that Rachel has a covert agenda of her own. Through flashback chapters set in the 1940s, readers
understand the depth of hatred coursing through Aron Samuel's veins. As Alex's investigation heats up, it seems that Aron is very much alive and
that he hasn't completed his life's work. VERDICT With its multiple points of view, this PI Mavros entry (after The Green Lady) pulsates with
suspense and a sensation of dread as the PI fights both the Samud family's demons and his own. Consider this Balkan noir at its best.
Kelly, Jim. The Funeral Owl: A Philip Dryden Mystery. Creme de la Crime: Severn House. Dec. 2013. 312p. ISBN 9781780290492. $28.95. M
Local UK newspaper editor Philip Dryden could go years without having a news week like this one. It opens with an epic dust storm wreaking
havoc in the Fens region and continues with a string of dangerous metal robberies that threaten train lines and wind turbines. A startlingly
gruesome murder scene in a churchyard stirs up the possibilities of a Chinese gang war in the next town over. Through it all, Dryden attempts to
connect any dots and stay vigilant with his stories. His interactions with a disturbed Korean War vet haunt him, though, as do his interviews with
the blind sexton and his gnarly grandson. But when a deadly--and highly flammable---moonshine operation is discovered, Dryden knows he's
sitting on the story of a lifetime. VERDICT Dagger Award-winning Kelly's seventh series entry (after Nightrise) showcases his trademark
multiple plotlines to perfection. Newcomers to the series will be delighted by this discovery.
* Shames, Terry. The Last Death of Jack Harbin: A Samuel Craddock Mystery. Seventh St: Prometheus. Jan. 2014. 256p. ISBN 9781616148713.
pap. $15.95; ebk. ISBN 9781616148720. M
Right at the height of football season, Jarrett Creek, TX, turns out to be a hotbed of crime. Retired police chief Samuel Craddock is asked to
investigate the shocking death of disabled (blind and wheelchair-bound) veteran Jack Harbin, right on the heels of Harbin's father's (who was
Jack's primary caregiver) sudden death. People want to blame Jack's estranged brother, but Samuel keeps unearthing details that point him
elsewhere. Meanwhile, high school football coach Boone Eldridge has been acting strangely, and now he's missing. Boone's wife fears the worst.
Then the parallel stories intersect, creating a whoosh of excitement that's guaranteed to keep readers up all night. VERDICT Shames's sophomore
series entry (after A Killing at Cotton Hill) highlights her comfortable storytelling style. The lead's folksy tone belies astute detecting, and the
plotting will dazzle readers. Consider for fans of Margaret Maron, Steven Havill, and Bill Crider--all "regional" writers with universal appeal.
Stroby, Wallace. Shoot the Woman First: A Crissa Stone Novel. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Dec. 2013. 276p. ISBN 9781250000385. $24.99; ebk.
ISBN 9781250022479. M
Professional thief Crissa Stone isn't quite sure why she has agreed to orchestrate a four-way-split cash robbery from drug dealers in Detroit, but it
seems she's still in "the life." Their operation succeeds, until one of the foursome fatally double-crosses the others. Crissa makes it out alive, but
she's morally committed to delivering the late Larry's cut (a hefty $80K) to his family in Florida. A corrupt ex-cop learns about the missing cash,
and he marshals his way through a number of players until he learns Crissa's identity and pursues her with a vengeance. Meanwhile, Crissa
discovers that Larry's family isn't particularly likable and wonders if her good deed will be wasted. VERDICT Adept at stand-alones (Gone 'til
November) and series (this is number three after Kings of Midnight), Stroby transports readers through his spare, believable dialog--making the
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story race by like a runaway train. Even though this plot is fairly predictable, Crissa is compelling, not unlike a female Parker (Richard Stark, aka
Donald E. Westlake). Elmore Leonard would approve.
Thompson, Richard A. Lowertown: A Herman Jackson Mystery. 40 Pr. Dec. 2013. 224p. ISBN 9781938473098. pap. $16.95. M
In St. Paul, MN, bail bondsman Herman Jackson takes his reputation seriously, so when someone forges his bond to get Ray Valento, a "gardenvariety
sociopath" out of jail, Herman is determined to find the villains. He's particularly worried because an assistant DA, Trish Hanover, is now
missing, and she fits the profile of Valento's victims. Herman connects with his best buddy and bounty hunter, Wide Track Wilkie, and the duo
assemble a team to find Valento, his accomplice, and, hopefully, Trish. On the streets, Herman gets close enough to the action to get bashed in the
head, but the bad guys are moving further afield. Turns out Valento came from a remote area of northern Wisconsin, and snowmobiles will be the
vehicles of choice for the final leg of a dramatic showdown. VERDICT Witty isn't easy to do when your story involves chasing a serial killer, but
Thompson has that magic touch. His third series entry (after FraS Box) is one to grab for those looking for a dark, fast-paced, and sardonic read.
A good choice for Chris Knopf, Howard Shrier, or Tom MacDonald fans.
COZY CORNER
Balzo, Sandra. Murder on the Orient Espresso: A Maggy Thorsen Mystery. Severn House. Dec. 2013. 200p. ISBN 9780727883117. $27.95. M
The simulated murder mystery train event is a popular staple for many gatherings, and this Florida-set mystery writers' conference is no
exception. Accompanying her boyfriend sheriffJake Pavlik, a featured conference speaker, for a vacation getaway in the Everglades, Maggy
realizes she's in for more of a busman's holiday, as one of the guests is discovered dead, stabbed with a cake knife. Meanwhile, after a downpour,
the tracks have flooded, and the train has stalled in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone access. Pythons, cake icing, and fierce jealousies all
jumble together in an imaginative fashion as Jake and Maggy try to achieve some order out of chaos. VERDICT A nicely hewn homage to
Agatha Christie's iconic mystery gives Balzo's seventh caffeinated series entry (after Triple Shot) a light and breezy boost. The Florida setting
jazzes up the plot, and attentive readers will delight in Balzo's plentiful book and movie references.
Cass, Laurie. Lending a Paw: A Bookmobile Cat Mystery. Obsidian: NAL. Dec. 2013. 344p. ISBN 9780451415462. pap. $7.99. M
Becoming the Bookmobile Lady is a dream assignment for Minnie Hamilton, an idealistic young librarian determined to bring services to folks
throughout Michigan's Chilson Library District. But she never dreamt that the bookmobile's maiden voyage would also include her finding a
murdered man in a ditch--the victim had been a major library benefactor. (Actually, her cat Eddie finds the body, but Minnie's more circumspect
about that point with the authorities.) The dead man, however, had plenty of enemies, and tracking down the killer takes more research time than
the copg can expend. Of course, a curious, impatient librarian and her cat must investigate. VERDICT It's hard to resist a cozy debut featuring a
spunky librarian with an impeccable service attitude and her slightly magical cat who rides shotgun on her bookmobile. Well researched, with
low-key humor and an intriguing mystery--don't miss this one. Cass also writes as Laura Alden (Curse of the PTA).
ADDITIONAL MYSTERIES
Gage, Leighton. The Ways of Evil Men. Soho Crime. Jan. 2014. 352p. ISBN 9781616952723. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9781616952730. M
When 39 of the 41 members of an Indian tribe living in the Brazilian rainforest die by poisoning, Jade Cameron, a National Indian Foundation
worker, rescues the remaining man, Amati, and his young son. Then a white rancher is murdered in the nearby village, and Amati is framed for
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the death. The villagers lynch him in the hopes of destroying the tribe and opening the reservation to development. CI Mario Silva of the federal
police is sent to investigate. As on his home turf in Sao Paulo, Silva finds corrupt officials, political connections, greed, racism--and more
murders. The possibility of a major gold strike ups the machinations as well. VERDICT This is the seventh and final Silva investigation (the
author died in July 2013). Gage knew the Brazilian locale intimately. He passionately displays the ecological problems and pervasive corruption
at all levels. By contrast, Silva and his team appear abnormally honest. The solutions they find, however, are quite melodramatically portrayed,
but fans of the series certainly will want to read Gage's last work.--Roland Person, formerly with Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale
* Hamilton, lan. The Red Pole of Macau: An Ava Lee Novel. Picador. Jan. 2014. 336p. ISBN 9781250043559. $25; pap. ISBN 9781250032317.
$15; ebk. ISBN 9781250032324. M
Canadian author Hamilton's third Ava Lee novel (after The Wild Beasts of Wuhan) has Ava traveling to China to rescue her distant half brother
and his partner from financial disaster that could in turn risk her extended family's fortune. Ava is up against the "Red Pole of Macau," the
enforcer for a powerful gang in the former Portuguese colony. Relying on her mentor, "Uncle," she also enlists the help of a former client, the
cunning May Ling Wong. More cerebral and dependent on interrelationships than in the earlier books, Ava, a forensic accountant with martial arts
skills, is sharp, clever, and cultured. Strong and independent, she also has a vulnerable side; she prays to St. Jude, the patron of lost causes, as she
sets out to rescue her brother's kidnapped partner. Ava plans her approach down to the smallest detail, envisioning every possible scenario. Her
dedication pays off in an edge-of-your-seat rescue attempt, with less violence than her previous adventures. VERDICT Hamilton delivers a
fantastic read once again. Recommended for mystery and crime thriller fans.--Susan Carr, Edwardsville P.L., IL
* Jansson, Anna. Killer's Island. Stockholm Text. Jan. 2014. 368p. tr. from Swedish by Enar Henning Koch. ISBN 9789187173998. pap. $14.95.
M
On the Swedish island of Gotland, DI Maria Wern and her colleagues are confronted with a serial killer. With the first victim, a nurse dressed as a
bride, Jansson cleverly weaves into her story line the ancient Norse myth of the White Sea-Lady, who lures men to their deaths. A widowed
single mother raising two children and jumping back into the dating scene, Maria also must endure a tense waiting period to find out if she has
been exposed to HIV. The inclusion of Harry, the island hypochondriac, adds another interesting character to an engaging mystery story.
VERDICT Jansson's second book to be translated into English (after Strange Bird) is sure to be a hit with avid fans of Scandinavian crime fiction.
Book clubs will find that this story provides many current and relevant topics to discuss.--Janet A. Ohles, Western Connecticut State Univ. Lib.,
Danbury
CWA DAGGER WINNERS
Earlier this spring, Barbara Conaty, my go-to reviewer for spy fiction, praised British author Mick Herron's latest title, Dead Lions, for "bringing
a fresh and puckish eye to espionage and crime, leaving behind the stodgy staples." The judges of Britain's CWA Dagger Awards obviously
agreed with Conaty's assessment. Awarding Herron the CWA 2013 Goldsboro Gold Dagger for the best crime novel of the year, they lauded this
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sequel to the acclaimed Slow Horses as "a well-written, wickedly clever send-up of the classic British spy novel." Those who think they don't like
espionage fiction may change their minds after reading this lively tale of three disgraced MI5 agents seeking redemption as they untangle two
twisty plots. Kudos to Soho Crime for picking a winner!
Other winners announced at the Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards 2013 on October 24 included 23-year-old Roger Hobbs, who was honored
with the CWA 2013 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for best thriller of the year for his debut novel, Ghostman (Vintage). Newcomer Derek B. Miller
took the CWA 2013 John Creasey Dagger, for best new crime writer of the year. The judges cited Miller's chase thriller about an octogenarian
former sniper, Norwegian by Night (Houghton Harcourt), as a "beautifully written contribution to Nordic noir with a twist."--Wilda Williams,
Library Journal
DEBUT OF THE MONTH
* Miller, Carol. Murder and Moonshine: A Mystery. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Dec. 2013. 304p. ISBN 9781250019257. $25.99; ebk. ISBN
9781250019264. M
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Scrappy waitress Daisy McGovern's life has been on hold since her father's accidental death five years ago. But when Fred Dickerson, a local
recluse, staggers into her diner and dies--from poisoning--Daisy is determined to find out who killed him. A chief suspect is the diner's cook, but
when he becomes the next victim, Daisy is flummoxed. Meanwhile, good-looking ATF agent Ethan Kinney comes down to this remote corner of
Virginia to investigate and finds that Fred died from poisoned moonshine. VERDICT Miller's debut amuses but also slices into the heart of a
proud region that doesn't appreciate outsiders taking advantage of the locals. Easy to read, shot with romance, and full of country aphorisms, the
book succeeds both at puzzling and moving readers emotionally. Try with Margaret Maron and Deborah Sharp fans.
NEWSWORTHY Two new book prizes will be given in 2014.
Two new book prizes will be given in 2014; they are sponsored by the Women's National Book Association of New Orleans. The two prizes for
crime fiction are in honor of the late Diana Pinckley (pinckleyprizes.org). Pinckley wrote the crime column "Get a Clue!" for the New Orleans
Times-Picayune, for over two decades. One prize is for debut fiction, the other for an established writer. Prizes will be presented at the 2014
Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival, held March 19-23.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
RIP ROBERT BARNARD
This fall we lost longtime favorite author Robert Barnard. The Crime Writers Association (CWA) had honored him in the past with the CWA
Dagger in the Library Award and the Diamond Dagger. Known for his wit, Barnard can be enjoyed for his stand-alones or series. Signature
Works: A Murder in Mayfair or Bones in the Attic ("Charlie Peace" series).
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SERIES LINEUP
Blackwell, Juliet. Home for the Haunting: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery. Obsidian: NAL. Dec. 2013. 312p. ISBN 9780451240705. pap.
$7.99. M
When a weekend volunteer home renovation project unearths a murder victim on-site, San Francisco-based contractor Mel turns to the spirits for
help in her fourth outing (after Murder on the House).
Cavender, Chris. The Missing Dough: A Pizza Lovers Mystery. Kensington. Dec. 2013. 248p. ISBN 9780758271549. $24. M The sixth outing
(after Killer Crust) for the North Carolina pizza-baking sisters gets personal when a killer with a barbeque skewer stabs Maddy's ex-husband.
Cavender is a pseudonym for the multiseries writer Tim Myers.
Dunn, Carola. Heirs of the Body: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Dec, 2013. 304p. ISBN 9780312675493. $24.99; ebk.
ISBN 9781466836433. M Lord Dalrymple is turning 50 and
needs Daisy's help figuring out the family tree. Some disreputable characters come out of the woodwork hoping to claim rights as heirs. Dunn is
up to number 21 in her witty historical cozy series (after Gone West).
Hess, Joan. Murder as a Second Language: A Claire Malloy Mystery. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Dec. 2013. 292p. ISBN 9781250011961. $25.99;
ebk. ISBN 9781250030016. M
Her local literacy foundation has some serious problems, but new volunteer Claire hadn't thought they'd bring out murderous instincts. Still going
strong after 27 years; this is number 19 (after Deader Homes and Gardens).
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Jaffarian, Sue Ann. Second-Hand Stiff: An Odelia Grey Mystery. Midnight Ink. Dec. 2013. 304p. ISBN 9780738718880. pap. $14.99. M
A storage locker auction blows sky-high when an explosion exposes a corpse--a relative of Odelia's husband. The comic plus-size sleuth series
returns for its eighth time (after Hide & Snoop).
McGilloway, Brian. The Nameless Dead. Pan Macmillan, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Dec. 2013. 392p. ISBN 9780330460866. pap. $12.95. M
An illegal adoption scam is only one of Inspector Devlin's problems in this gritty Irish procedural. The fifth case is just what readers will want
(after The Rising); this series is newly available in the United States and is hot, hot, hot.
Muller, Marcia & Bill Prenzini. The Spook Lights Affair: A Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery. Forge: Tor. Dec. 2013. 256p. ISBN
9780765331755. $24.99. ebk. ISBN 9781429997225. M
Detectives Carpenter and Quincannon and their mysterious colleague (Holmes, anyone?) pursue two cases: a missing debutante and a Wells
Fargo robbery. Sign up for number two (after The Bughouse Affair) in this dynamic duo's historical series set in San Francisco, circa 1895.
Purser, Ann. Scandal at Six: A Lois Meade Mystery. Berkley Prime Crime. Dec. 2013. 336p. ISBN 9780425261787. $25.95. M
Lois feels uneasy about the eccentric zoo owner whose cavalier attitude about his escaped critters is rattling the villagers. Not surprisingly, the
house cleaner's instincts are spot-on; this is her 13th case (after Found Guilty at Five).
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Rowe, Rosemary. Dark Omens: A Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain. Severn House. Dec. 2013. 232p. ISBN 9780727882998. $28.95. M
News of the emperor's death complicates Libertus's ongoing investigations in Roman Britain. But his 14th outing (after A Whispering of Spies)
finds him solving problems wisely.
Quotable
"Carson shrugged. 'I wish I knew. These aspiring writers take everything so seriously. They don't understand that there are only a handful of basic
plots with shoulders broad enough to carry the three-to-four hundred pages of a novel, and what we're all doing is re-imagining--no, more
spinning--them. And even if someone did steal a concept, no two writers would come up with the same book.'"--Sandra Balzo, Murder on the
Orient Espresso
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Teresa L. Jacobsen, retired librarian, was a training coordinator for Solano County Library, and previous to that, a fiction evaluator/ reference
librarian for Santa Monica Public Library. She has written occasional feature articles for LJ and reviewed fiction regularly since 2004. She is an
unabashed mystery fan who enjoys bringing new readers into the fold
Jacobsen, Teresa L.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Jacobsen, Teresa L. "Mystery." Library Journal, 1 Dec. 2013, p. 71+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA353437588&it=r&asid=d5f1400af422d20c79790133d68adaef. Accessed 25 Apr.
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A353437588
---
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Mystery
Teresa L. Jacobsen
Library Journal.
138.14 (Sept. 1, 2013): p88.
COPYRIGHT 2013 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
JUSTICE IS HARDER to mete out when hate crimes factor into the story. Nonetheless, our mystery authors persevere and tackle the tough
issues, often using historical context. James R. Benn's latest Billy Boyle World War II entry, A Blind Goddess, doesn't pretend to have all the
answers about racism and segregation, but maybe Billy can rectify a few wrongs. Don't miss James W. Ziskin (Styx & Stone) and Patricia Hall
(Dressed To Kill), who both use early 1960s scenarios to showcase villains who haven't yet lain to rest their World War II agendas. Mix in a little
conspiracy with that hate, and you have David O. Stewart's 1900-set The Lincoln Deception. But peruse this month's offerings for lighter fare,
too. While historical mysteries are running particularly strong, current and even one futuristic tale (Frankie Y. Bailey's The Red Queen Dies) will
tempt your selecting tastes.
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SHORT STUFF
Coleman, Reed Farrel. Valentino Pier. Raven: Orca. (Rapid Reads). Sept. 2013. 140p. ISBN 9781459802094. pap. $9.95; ebk. ISBN
9781459802117. M
Brooklyn PI Gulliver Dowd is a dwarf, but don't underestimate his detecting or martial arts abilities. Dowd helps Ellis, a local street kid, find his
lost dog but is then startled to learn that the boy has been viciously attacked and is now hospitalized. After asking around the industrial area of
Red Hook, Brooklyn, where Ellis makes his home, Dowd realizes the boy saw something illegal and the crooks want to silence him. It doesn't
take long before Dowd is in danger, too. VERDICT Coleman, the award-winning author of the Moe Prager series, is a welcome addition to the
talented stable of writers who have joined Orca's Rapid Reads line. Mixing accessible prose meant to draw in new and reluctant readers with an
exciting plot, Coleman introduces a gutsy, street-savvy hero. More, please.
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* Limon, Martin. Nightmare Range: The Collected George Sueno & Ernie Bascom Stories. Soho Crime. Sept. 2013. 400p. ISBN
9781616953324. $25. M
Stationed in Korea in the early 1970s, these two army detectives have covered a lot of ground. Korean-speaking Sgt. George Sueno and his
mismatched partner, the fiery Sgt. Ernie Bascom, make military detecting captivating. At times dark and brusque, the tales nonetheless
demonstrate an empathy with the Korean people. Consider "The Mysterious Mr. Kim," in which Sueno and Bascom reopen a case of a murdered
U.S. doctor, solely on the basis of a tearful mother whose Korean son has been wrongfully convicted of the crime. VERDICT Snap up this
volume immediately. All 17 stories have been published over two decades (dating back to 1993), and they provide a superb introduction to
Limon's stellar series (The Joy Brigade). Limon effectively stirs compassion into his military procedurals and never loses sight of his characters'
humanity.
CHECK THESE OUT
Bailey, Frankie Y. The Red Queen Dies. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Sept. 2013. 304p. ISBN 9780312641757. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250037176. M
When a news blogger spreads rumors that a serial killer is targeting Albany, NY, the local cops are more than irritated. But lead investigator
Hannah McCabe is really flummoxed when a famous actress, Vivian Jessup, becomes the third victim. Uncanny connections between the actress
(known for Alice in Wonderland roles) and the symbolic trophies (also Alice-related) left with the earlier two victims have McCabe scrambling.
Troubling links with a powerful developer who had a relationship with the actress (and who also made monetary connections to a long-ago
science summer camp that the first two victims attended) complicate the investigation further. Over the course of an intense few weeks, McCabe
and her colleagues somehow must winnow down the suspect pool and stop the madness. VERDICT Bailey (Lizzie Stuart series) has crafted an
ambitious police procedural series debut that is set in the near future. While not particularly dystopian, Bailey's cultural references will appeal to
those who appreciate futuristic speculation. Even more engaging are the literary allusions to Lewis Carroll and L. Frank Baum. Although a bit
awkward at the beginning with an abundance of characters, this is an ideal pick for folks who crave psychological puzzles.
Benn, James R. A Blind Goddess: A Billy Boyle World War II Mystery. Soho Crime. Sept. 2013. 320p. ISBN 9781616951924. $25. M
In the weeks building up to the anticipated invasion of France, D-day, things are hectic in southern England. Capt. Billy Boyle, a military
detective, is surprised when an old Boston friend, Sgt. Eugene "Tree" Jackson, asks him to look into the case of a black U.S. serviceman who has
been arrested in the murder of a constable. Tree's unit, a segregated division stationed nearby, helps Boyle snoop around as he tries to figure out
who has made the enlisted man a scapegoat. Concurrently, Boyle has been assigned to help MI-5 investigate the murder of a British loan officer.
Adding fuel to the fire, a missing girl's body turns up. Boyle steps carefully through the minefields of racism, espionage, and child abduction until
the three cases intersect in a volatile, whirlwind finale. VERDICT Elaborately plotted, Benn's eighth entry in the series (after Death's Door) has
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his World War II sleuth investigating a deplorable side of U.S. military history. His use of an ongoing narrative throughout the book to explain
Billy and Tree's backstory is particularly well done.
Elkins, Aaron & Charlotte Elkins. A Cruise To Die For. Thomas & Mercer: Amazon. Sept. 2013. 320p. ISBN 9781477805077. pap. $14.95; ebk.
ISBN 9781477855072. M
Is it the Manet or the Monet that's a forgery? Greek magnate Panos Papadakis might be a con artist, but whether he's savvy enough to realize
who's trying to scare him is the major question. Papadakis is hosting an at-sea auction, selling off some of his favorite paintings. Posing as a guest
lecturer, art expert Alix London is hired as an undercover FBI operative to spy on Papadakis's activities. Surrounded by colorful characters (the
opera singer wife, the female rock star, the extended members of Papadakis's filmily), Alix is relieved when handsome Roland de Beauvais
(really FBI Special Agent Ted Ellesworth) arrives. When word gets to Alix and Ted that master forger Christoph Weisskopf has been killed in
New York, and then one of the crewmembers is also murdered, readers realize that the stakes have been raised, ensuring a dramatic port of call
showdown. VERDICT The Elkinses show why they are perennial favorites. It's all very sun kissed and Greek Isles gorgeous in this sumptuous
cat and mouse tale. This traditional romantic suspense entry (after A Dangerous Talent) is just the ticket for fans of Margaret Truman or classic
Mary Stewart.
Gorman, Ed. Flashpoint: A Dev Conrad Mystery. Severn House. Sept. 2013. 188p. ISBN 9780727883001. $28.95. M
In a story as old as time, a dead woman turns up in a politician's home, and the politician (Sen. Robert Logan) swears he knows nothing. Dev
Conrad, Logan's political consultant (who happens to have a background in army intelligence) cleans up the situation and tries to clear his
candidate's name. As Dev learns more about the victim--for starters, she worked as a political operative for a notoriously right-wing organization-
-he wonders if Logan was caught up in something more complex than simple dirty politics. He's seriously considering conspiracy theories when
the next victim falls. Let the pursuit of justice begin. VERDICT Short chapters, biting prose, and a clever twist keep this political thriller moving
at a breakneck pace. Political .junkies will appreciate the fourth entry (after Blindside).
Hall, Patricia. Dressed To Kill: A Kate O'Donnell Mystery. Creme de la Crime: Severn House. Sept. 2013. 204p. ISBN 9781780290461. $28.95.
M
Finding who killed and dumped Jenny, a pregnant teen, behind a London jazz club is DS Harry Barnard's top priority. Jenny's death,
unfortunately, touches upon photographer Kate O'Donnell, who is working a professional stint with the studio where the victim used to model.
Now Kate's worried about another young model, Sylvia, who has gotten pregnant. When a botched abortion kills Sylvia, Kate and Harry blame
sleazy Ricky Smart, who has a toehold in both the studio and the .jazz club. Mix in a mobster boss, an up-and-coming fashion designer, and a
cash-strapped lord, and the police have their bands full. London in 1963 struggles with its post-World War II identity, with the privileged class
loath to forsake old ways. Things get brutal fast. VERDICT Hall's third series entry (after Death Trap) might be gritty and bleak, but her thought-
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provoking story ensures that our admiration for the gutsy Liverpudlian Kate continues to grow. Hall does a fine job of creating a groundbreaking
protagonist whose fearlessness coupled with her talent forges a path for future female professionals.
Miley, Mary. The Impersonator. Minotaur: St. Martin's. Sept. 2013. 356p. ISBN 9781250028167. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250028174. M
In 1917, a young heiress went missing from her family's Oregon manor, and seven years later, her fortune will be distributed if she doesn't return
soon to claim it. A con artist--Uncle Oliver--finds a charming vaudevillian actress willing to tackle the role of impersonating Jessie Carr; the deal
is they will split the money. The new Jessie handles her part with aplomb, winning over most of the Carr family. But the orphan actress gradually
realizes how much she likes this new lifestyle and family, and she finds the web of deceit a struggle. Unfortunately, the deadline looms, and
someone sinister hasn't been fooled at all. That person doesn't plan to let "Jessie" act anymore, anywhere. VERDICT Miley's clever historical
debut successfully portrays an intricate puzzle featuring multiple cons. Her protagonist dazzles us with her fearlessness. Inspired by Josephine
Tey's Brat Farrar, Miley's stand-alone is the winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition.
* Peterson, Linda Lee. The Devil's Interval. Prospect Park. Sept. 2013. 344p. ISBN 9781938849114. pap. $14.95; ebk. ISBN 9781938849121. M
Once again, Maggie Fiori, a San Francisco magazine editor, finds herself tangled in a crime case. Friends in a defense group for death row
inmates want her to meet a prisoner, Travis Gifford, also known as the Limousine Lothario, who is appealing his sentence. Convicted for
murdering a high-society client (and lover), Travis nonetheless maintains his innocence. Maggie's curiosity gets the better of her, and soon she's
investigating, under the auspices of writing a magazine feature about the victim. Maggie's last foray into detecting almost got her killed, so this
time her husband gets involved, too. They learn that Grace Plummer, the victim, was no ordinary socialite. As Maggie's team research and
interview (including a steamy couple of segments in an exclusive sex club), they acknowledge the familiar maxim: the rich are different. And
some of them have no compunction about killing again. VERDICT This sophomore entry featuring journalist-sleuth Maggie Fiori (after Edited to
Death) is impossible to put down. Sparkling dialog, references both musical and literary, and an offbeat cast of believable characters make the
pages fly by. Peterson's secondary plot about Maggie's family is balanced, never overwhelming the mystery.
Stewart, David O. The Lincoln Deception. Kensington. Sept. 2013. 264p. ISBN 9780758290670. pap. $15; ebk. ISBN 9780758290687. M
Physician Jamie Fraser is stunned when his dying patient, John Bingham, the lead prosecutor for the Lincoln assassination trials, confesses that
there was more to the Lincoln case than was ever revealed. John alludes to an evil force that would have threatened the nation's survival. Later,
Jamie searches through John's letters and papers for evidence to bolster that tantalizing possibility. Meanwhile, Speed Cook, a confident and
college-educated black man who dreams of publishing his own newspaper, strolls into Jamie's life. He, too, feels compelled to learn more about
this mystery. Jamie and Speed forge an uneasy alliance fortified by subsequent battles and close calls with assorted bad guys as they pursue false
leads and uncover surprising new facts in Baltimore, New York, and Washington, DC. VERDICT Historian Stewart's (Impeached; American
Emperor) debut novel, set in 1900, is dense with detail and intrigue, making a hearty read for conspiracy addicts.
Ziskin, James W. Styx & Stone: An Elite Stone Mystery. Seventh St: Prometheus. Oct. 2013. 272p. ISBN 9781616148195. pap. $15.95; ebk.
ISBN 9781616148201. M
The prodigal daughter, journalist Eleonora ("Ellie") Stone, rushes to her father's New York City hospital bed after he's savagely beaten in his
apartment. Abraham Stone, Dante professor and scholar, is mostly beloved by his colleagues, but an underlying tension within the department
makes a curious--and angry--Elite investigate. Not only is her father near death, but also his most recent manuscript is missing from his torn-up
study. Then, horrifyingly, another professor dies in a scenario meant to look like a suicide. While grappling with her own identity and grief, Ellie
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pieces together the clues she's amassed from what's been left in the study and from conversations with others. When she catches a whiff of antiSemitism,
the case is clarified for her, and DS Jimmo McKeever wisely listens. VERDICT This is an engrossing debut in what promises to be a
fascinatingly complex series set in the 1960s. With abundant academic flair and somber references to the Holocaust and World War II, Ziskin
successfully pulls off a nuanced plot sure to appeal to both fans of academia and Mad Men.
COZY CORNER
Dawson, Janet. Death Rides the Zephyr: A Mystery. Perseverance. Sept. 2013. 228p. ISBN 9781564745309. pap. $15.95. M
Christmas 1952: the holiday crush is at the train station. Zephyrette (think flight attendant) Jill McLeod welcomes her passengers aboard as they
leave the San Francisco Bay area and wend eastward to Denver and then Chicago. As Jill learns more about the train's guests, the University of
California, Berkeley, grad notices that several of them have connections to Los Alamos, NM, including a noted physicist from Berkeley. All is
going well until a string of petty thefts mount up, and then, shockingly, the professor is found murdered in his compartment. Unfortunately, a
rockslide has trapped the train, forcing Jill and her crew to stay levelheaded as they solve the case and catch the killer. VERDICT With a nod to
Agatha Christie, Dawson (Bit Player) has created a stand-alone historical that's perfect for Western collections with its detailed descriptions of the
mid-century train routes through the Sierras and Rockies. Her stately pacing and elaborate attention to clues make this a must-purchase for any
library with historic-train aficionados.
Price, Cate. Going Through the Notions: A Deadly Notions Mystery. Prime Crime: Berkley. Sept. 2013. 304p. ISBN 9780425258798. pap. $7.99.
M
Former New Yorkers Daisy Buchanan and her husband have retired early and moved to pastoral Bucks County, PA, where Daisy owns a vintage
notions shop. Then, out of the blue, her picking buddy and auctioneer Angus Backstead is arrested for the murder of Jimmy Kratz, a local trash
hauler and no-goodnik. Adding to the punch, an extremely valuable auction set of fountain pens is missing. Daisy, convinced that Angus is
innocent, goes amateur sleuth with clumsy ardor. It doesn't help that the local detective hates Angus and that the victim's widow gives off a bad
vibe. Daisy is rudderless in her search for the real killer, and she needs help soon. VERDICT Price's debut series doesn't break new ground here,
but her protagonist shows promise for those who delight in small-business cozies. Her emphasis on family relationships and crises almost
smothers the murder plot, so let's hope the next outing finds Daisy sleuthing more and fussing less. Consider partnering with titles by Camille
Minichino, Kylie Logan, and Sharon Fiffer.
Ross, Barbara. Clammed Up: A Maine Clambake Mystery. Kensington. Sept. 2013. 376p. ISBN 9780758286857. pap. $7.99. M
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Julia Snowden is intent on saving the family clambake business, which is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Every day counts in Maine's short
tourist season, and destination-wedding events are good moneymakers. But having the best man murdered on-site? Not so good. That's just the
first catastrophe for the small business; next is an arson fire that almost destroys the historic family homestead. Julia and the cops race from one
calamity to the next, struggling to understand the motive behind the murder and arson. Almost everyone is lying, and Julia needs to get better at
listening if she wants to solve the case. The dock is ticking. VERDICT This very satisfying series debut keeps a steady and confident pace from
the beginning; readers can enjoy both figuring out the mystery and taking an armchair visit to coastal Maine. Recipes included.
ADDITIONAL MYSTERIES
* Faye, Lyndsay. Seven for a Secret. Amy Einhorn: Putnam. Sept. 2013. 464p. ISBN 9780399158384. $26.95. M
In the wake of her Edgar-nominated debut mystery, The Gods of Gotham, Faye returns to 1840s New York and to her protagonist, young Timothy
Wilde of the newly formed New York City Police Force. Promoted to detective, Tim lends his hand to investigating while trying to keep clear of
his brother Val's Tammany Hall politics. Hoping to help a pretty girl, Tim stumbles on to a highly connected ring of slave smugglers, who kidnap
escaped slaves and freeborn citizens for a price. It is dangerous to be an abolitionist in a New York as divided as the rest of the country in the
years leading up to the Civil War. Tim confronts danger on all sides as he struggles with what is right and what will get him killed. VERDICT
Faye's first novel won popular and critical success with its pairing of early police work and the criminal underworld of 19th-century New York.
Her second novel is doubly impressive. Readers of historical and genre fiction will appreciate the twists and turns of this original series.--
Catherine Lantz, Morton Coll. Lib., Cicero, IL
* Grafton, Sue. W Is for Wasted. Marian Wood: Putnam. Sept. 2013. 496p. ISBN 9780399158988. $28.95; ebk. ISBN 9781101636459. M
Grafton's 23rd Kinsey Millhone mystery (after V Is for Vengeance) features a strange twist in the life of the popular private detective, as she's
drawn into the investigations of two murders: the first, of a fellow PI with a shady reputation; the second, of a homeless man who has her name
and phone number in his pocket. Her inquiries lead to a maze of troubles involving a bank, a will, a large amount of money, and a new connection
with her long-lost relatives. Grafton has lost none of her ability to bring her character vividly to life: Kinsey is as witty and engaging as ever,
although somewhat more subdued and thoughtful owing to the emotionally charged tasks she has to perform. VERDICT As Grafton nears the end
of her long-running alphabet series, readers of mystery and suspense and Grafton's many fans will delight in and savor this latest addition.--Linda
Oliver, Colorado Springs
DEBUT OF THE MONTH
* Yu, Ovidia. Aunty Lees Delights: A Singaporean Mystery. Morrow. Sept. 2013. 288p. ISBN 9780062227157. pap. $14.99; ebk, ISBN
9780062227164. M
Widowed Aunty Lee has two passions: the news and food. Her cafe is a popular Singapore institution, and she graciously supports her stepson
Mark's vintner aspirations by hosting tasting dinners with ticketed guests, including some Aussie tourists. But Mark's scheming wife is not to be
trusted, nor perhaps Laura, his hired assistant. When Laura doesn't show up to work the latest dinner, Aunty suspects Laura might he the
unidentified dead woman found on the beach (it's on all the local news channels). When her hunch is confirmed, Aunty moves into full-on
amateur sleuth mode, dragging her loyal assistant Nina into the investigation. Thankfully, Salim Mawar, the lead detective on the case, finds
Aunty and Nina irresistible--and startlingly prescient. Then, when a mysterious stranger arrives from the United States, looking for Laura, the
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killer becomes more desperate. VERDICT Using a slightly fussy and gossipy tone, Yu has created a winning traditional-style series that's sure to
go over big with fans of Tarquin Hall, Anne Zouroudi, and Alexander McCall Smith. Her protagonist, a Singaporean Miss Marple, is marvelous.
BY HOOK OR BY CROOK
Laughter drifted out the front door of mystery maven Janet Rudolph's (www.mysteryreaders.org) Berkeley home late one June evening as three
California mystery authors--Kate Carlisle, Juliet Blackwell, and Daryl Wood Gerber--regaled 18 guests at Rudolph's monthly "salon" with their
publishing adventures. All three were on the cusp of new releases: Carlisle of A Cookbook Conspiracy, the seventh in the "Brooklyn Wainwright
Bibliophile Mystery" series and her first in hardcover; Blackwell of Tarnished and Torn, number five in her "Witchcraft Mystery" series (she also
writes the "Haunted Home Renovation" series); and Gerber--who also writes as Avery Aames, and won an Agatha for best first novel (The Long
Quiche Goodbye)--debuting a new culinary series with Final Sentence.
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The self-effacing Carlisle, a New York Times best-selling author, offered up that it took a good 20 years to attain that success. When she finally
incorporated a lifelong love of bookmaking into her plot, she was able to launch a successful series. Happily working in two genres--she also
writes popular romances for Harlequin--Carlisle makes it all look so easy. Blackwell put her educational background in anthropology to work in
her Witchcraft series; her love of research shone through as she described some of the witch cultures from around the globe. Regarding her
"Haunted Home Renovation" series, Blackwell admitted that a diverse work history, including time as a construction finisher, gave her real
insights into the industry. Contrary to conventional wisdom (that only women read cozies), she noted that "the guys" enjoy her construction
series. The research process helps her transition from one series to the next.
Gerber, by contrast, literally maps out her separate worlds for the two series she now has running. Noting the attention readers pay to tiny details
in fictional worlds, Gerber had us laughing with tales of how well-intentioned loved ones want to correct her on her town's layout. All three
authors agreed that they love to read series and enjoy making theirs come alive for readers. Blackwell compares it to a "miniseries" on television
in which one identifies with the characters and desperately needs to know what's next. Just a click away: all three have social media outlets and
blogs. Try the Mystery Lovers' Kitchen (www.mysteryloverskitchen.com) for a sampling.
QUOTABLE
"But the downside was that every crime had its victim. And if you were a cop, you didn't just play Sherlock Holmes. You had to deal with victims
who had been hurt by offenders who were sometimes victims themselves.... Justice, McCabe thought, is a difficult commodity to come by."
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--Frankie Y. Bailey, The Red Queen Dies
NEWSWORTHY
Bouchercon (bcon2013.com), the World Mystery Convention, calls. From far and wide, mystery fans will descend this year on Albany, NY,
September 19-22. Pay special attention to the Anthony Awards, given on September 22.
2013 ANTHONY AWARD NOMINATIONS
BEST NOVEL
Dare Me, Megan Abbott
The Trinity Game, Sean Chercover
Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
The Beautiful Mystery, Louise Penny
The Other Woman, Hank Phillippi Ryan
BEST FIRST NOVEL
Don't Ever Get Old, Daniel Friedman
The Professionals, Owen Laukkanen
The Expats, Chris Pavone
The 500, Matthew Quirk
Black Fridays, Michael Sears
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Whiplash River, Lou Berney
Murder for Choir, Joelle Charbonneau
And She Was, Alison Gaylin
Blessed Are the Dead, Malla Nunn
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Big Maria, Johnny Shaw
SERIES LINEUP
Alexander, Gary. Loot: A Buster Hightower Mystery. Five Star: Gale Cengage. Sept, 2013. 264p. ISBN 9781432827175. $25.95. M
Stand-up comedian Buster and his girlfriend Carla find themselves unraveling a long-ago Seattle bank robbery mystery that is tied in with a shady
group looking for the missing loot. Wacky geezer lit forms this fourth entry in a humorous series (after Interlock).
Berenson, Laurien. Gone with the Woof: A Melanie Travis Canine Mystery. Kensington. Sept. 2013. 284p. ISBN 9780758284525. $24. M
Welcome back Melanie Travis, Connecticut stay-at-home mom and dog breeder (after 2008's Doggie Day Care Murder) in her 16th outing. This
time her stint as a memoir writer puts her in danger.
Brandman, Michael. Robert B. Parker's Damned If You Do: A Jesse Stone Novel. Putnam. Sept. 2013. 272p. ISBN 9780399159503. $26.95. M
Brandman's third Jesse Stone installment after Parker's death (after Robert B. Parker's Fool Me Twice) will help meet insatiable demand for all
things Parker. Expect holds. [See Prepub Alert, 3/25/13.]
Coel, Margaret. Killing Custer: A Wind River Mystery. Prime Crime: Berkley. Sept. 2013. 320p. ISBN 9780425264638. $26.95. M
When a General Custer impersonator is killed, the locals want to blame a certain Arapaho, Vicky Holden and Father John O'Malley seek the truth
in the 17th entry in the series (after Buffalo Bill's Dead).
Havill, Steven F. NightZone: A Posadas County Mystery. Poisoned Pen. Oct. 2013. 312p. ISBN 9781464200604. $24.95; pap. ISBN
9781464200700. $14.95. M
One rancher's dream of creating an astronomy-themed tourist attraction brings out an ecoterrorist attack, and things quickly spiral out of control
in Havill's 19th case (after One Perfect Shot).
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Heywood, Joseph, Killing a Cold One: A Woods Cop Mystery. Lyons. Sept. 2013. 432p. ISBN 9780762791279.$26.95. M
4/25/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1493169193734 26/27
Intrepid Grady Services returns for number eight (after Force of Blood) in Heywood's compelling outdoor mystery series set in Michigan's Upper
Peninsula. Mutilated victims are horrific enough that folks think a supernatural force is at work.
Masters, Priscilla. The Final Curtain. Severn House. Sept. 2013. 236p. ISBN 9780727883049. $28.95. M
Someone has hated child actor Timony Weeks for decades, and now DI Piercy must puzzle out who before the anger turns deadly. The 11th case
for the Staffordshire detective (after The Velvet Scream).
Pearce, Michael. The Bride Box: A Mamur Zapt Mystery. Severn House. Sept. 2013. 204p. ISBN 9780727883032. $28.95. M
The old world confronts modern changes in 1912 Cairo. Gareth Owen--the Mamur Zapt--must investigate shocking allegations about human
trafficking in his 17th case (after 2008's The Mark of the Pasha).
Scott, A.D. North Sea Requiem. Atria: S. 8, S. Sept. 2013. 328p. ISBN 9781451665796. pap. $16. M
A local nurse finds a severed human foot inside a field hockey boot; then she is victimized by an acid-throwing attacker. Don't miss the fourth
installment in Scott's Barry-nominated series (after Beneath the Abbey Wall} set in 1950s Scotland.
Swanson, Denise. Murder of a Stacked Librarian: A Scumble River Mystery. Obsidian Mysteries: NAL. Sept. 2013. 272p. ISBN 9780451416506.
pap. $7.99. M
You owe yourselves this Christmastime mystery (after Murder of the Cat's Meow), the 16th cozy for Swanson's school psychologist Skye
Denison, Just days before Skye's wedding, she becomes distracted when the town's new librarian is murdered.
Todd, Charles. A Question of Honor: A Bess Crawford Mystery. Morrow. Sept. 2013. 320p. ISBN 9780062237156. $25.99; ebk. ISBN
9780062237170. M
4/25/2017 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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When Bess learns that an earlier crime committed in India involves her father, she must grapple with disturbing truths. Number five in this series
(after the award-winning An Unmarked Grave) for the mother/son writing duo.
Teresa L. Jacobsen, retired librarian, was a training coordinator for Solano County Library, and previous to that, a fiction evaluator/reference
librarian for Santa Monica Public Library. She has written occasional feature articles for LJ and reviewed fiction regularly since 2004. She is an
unabashed mystery fan who enjoys bringing new readers into the fold
Jacobsen, Teresa L.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Jacobsen, Teresa L. "Mystery." Library Journal, 1 Sept. 2013, p. 88+. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?
p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA341127020&it=r&asid=4073c2f0fcd1c28b5de7f12c227461b7. Accessed 25 Apr.
2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A341127020
REVIEWS: 'Letters From Paris,' by Juliet Blackwell, and 'The French Chef in America,' by Alex Prud'homme
JANUARY 1, 2017 — 2:00PM
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Letters From Paris
By Juliet Blackwell. (Berkley Books, 349 pages, $15.)
An American woman searching for healing and meaning goes to Paris, and after some improbable adventures that include an enigmatic man, she embraces a new life. The formula is so <
It's <
As a child, she had found a copy of that mask in her grandmother's Plaquemines Parish attic, with a mysterious, yellowed note in its wrapping paper. Her great-grandfather, an American soldier, had shipped it home after World War II. Claire gets a temporary job as a shop clerk in the mask store, and soon mysteries spring up and family connections unfold. <
The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell
by SB Sarah · Nov 7, 2015 at 1:39 pm · One comment so far
The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell C+
The Paris Key
by Juliet Blackwell
I love any type of book that promises an immersive experience in another place, culture, or world that is different from my own. My desire for travel doesn’t match my travel budget any more than by reading desires are satisfied by my book budget, so books like this one are always tempting to me.
Unfortunately, there were two parallel storylines in this book, and I didn’t like one of them. Genevieve is getting a divorce, and has inherited her late uncle’s locksmith shop and apartment in Paris, so off she goes to end one life and start another. While she’s there, she finds traces of a mystery surrounding her late mother’s trip to Paris before she was born, and investigates the past while learning about her new life. This is all my catnip, though there wasn’t enough romance for me.
The mystery surrounding Genevieve’s mom didn’t do that much for me. Her mother, even in the warmest of recollections from Genevieve, seemed selfish and foolish much of the time, and I wasn’t that excited about the chapters devoted to her story in the past.
Plus, Genevieve heads to Paris to take over her uncle’s locksmith business. He trained her when she was a teenager, and she’s kept up with lock repair and lock picking (her estranged husband used to grouse that she’d mess around trying to break into old locks while they were watching tv together), so she’s not ignorant of the trade. For me, there wasn’t enough lock picking! More lock picking! More competence porn! I wanted less flashbacks of maudlin, selfish mom, and more lock picking. There wasn’t nearly enough lock repair and lock picking going on – which would have, obviously, unlocked a lot of doors and potential stories. But there were only a few that Genevieve was focused on, and they weren’t as interesting to me.
The present day conflict and regeneration of Genevieve’s life was much more interesting, though much less dramatic, than the past flashbacks that focused on the mystery connected to Genevieve’s mother. I liked this book enough to finish, but there wasn’t enough Paris, and there wasn’t enough locksmithing.
– SB Sarah
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Secondhand Spirits
A Witchcraft Mystery with Lily Ivory by Juliet Blackwell
Secondhand Spirits by Juliet Blackwell
Review: Juliet Blackwell (a pseudonym for one of the two sisters who together write as Hailey Lind) debuts a new mystery series with Secondhand Spirits, featuring San Francisco vintage clothing store owner Lily Ivory … who also happens to be a natural born witch.
Originally from Texas, Lily is relatively new to the Bay Area, having drifted around the world unsure where to settle and what to do with her life. She has opened a vintage clothing store, partly because it's an interesting business, but also because it allows her to connect in a special way to people of the past. When Frances Potts offers to sell her a rack full of dresses from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, she can't resist. But there's something both unusual and familiar about the old woman, and her clothes produce a disturbing reaction in Lily. When Frances is later killed, and a neighbor girl goes missing, Lily is sure there's a connection. Though she doesn't know many people in her new home town, she assembles a group of local witches in order to unmask the killer and find the little girl.
At times Secondhand Spirits reads more like a meticulously researched paper on modern witchcraft than it does a mystery. To be sure, there are plenty of cozy elements--lots of girl talk; Lily pursued by two very different, but mysterious in their own way, men; clothes and shoes, even if they are from a different era; and a pot-bellied pig, who is really a creature of uncertain origin just assuming that form, taking the place of a cat--but the mystery plot is especially thin here. The focus seems to be much more on the rules and rituals, spells and potions, dos and don'ts of witchcraft. It's possible the author is simply laying a solid foundation for the series, but some of what goes on could easily have been moved to the second or third book, allowing the mystery storyline to be considerably tightened and the overall plot to be somewhat more cohesive. Lily, though, is a well-developed character, one with human insecurities and doubts, but also quite clever and resourceful. While there are a lot of interesting bits about witchcraft in Secondhand Spirits, she is the reason to read the book and to look forward to the next in the series.
Acknowledgment: Penguin Group provided a copy of Secondhand Spirits for this review.
Review: The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell
Posted by Nima on Sep 15, 2015 in Rating C, reviews, woman's fiction | 2 Comments | Tags: Juliet Blackwell, NAL, Nima Review
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Paris KeyThe Paris Key
Author: Juliet Blackwell
Reviewer: Nima
Rating: C
What I’m Talking About:
The Paris Key is aptly named on several levels. I like a good title. In this case it ties together multiple plot points of locksmithing, love, ghosts of the past, and finding a way through to the future. Main character Genevieve Martin runs away to Paris, following a formal separation from her husband, to take over the locksmith shop of her beloved late uncle Dave. She will find that Paris holds the key to unlocking personal mysteries as she works to “find herself” during this period of stress and change.
The book begins in Oakland, California. It’s especially ironic that Genevieve is running from this location when you consider that Berkeley, directly adjacent to Oakland, is known for its overly supportive community that seems to exist to help people discover themselves. Genevieve even makes a crack about her ex’s life coach. I was disappointed when this phrase, “…what I really needed to do was find myself” came up because it’s a cliché that has always rubbed me the wrong way, used too often to justify adults abandoning responsibilities and family, even children, on a journey of self-discovery for answers that they believe lay elsewhere. I think Blackwell is a better author than to throw out clichés. It’s also when I realized that as compelling as this “slice-of-life” story was written, I didn’t especially like it.
<> The depression of several characters felt depressing. It’s to author Juliet Blackwell’s credit that she made me feel those feelings, but it was over 350 pages of depression hanging over the main characters before getting to the potential hope of the ending. Unfortunately the climax is abrupt and short for the length of its lead-up. Relief was insufficient. I wanted more hope, more happy. The author doesn’t leave us in a soup of tears, but even this hopeful ending is still a sad one, including wasted years, wasted effort, hurt and pain. No one gets through life without hurt and pain, but you have to be in a pretty good mood to go there intentionally with your recreational reading.
This isn’t the kind of must-read book that gets rapidly passed around. It’s the one your book club chooses because someone going through a divorce liked it and made it her pick. Not surprisingly, there are a list of discussion questions at the back, ready for book clubs and girlfriends to discuss over coffee and scones. I did appreciate that before the discussion questions was an interview with the author about her writing process and personal experiences in Paris. I found Blackwell’s answers interesting and they would definitely add a lot to any discussion.
The fact that Blackwell is a California native comes through and as a San Francisco East Bay native myself that hasn’t been home in a decade, I was homesick when Genevieve wanted nothing more than to escape. Because of her emotional state, she depicted an Oakland that like her marriage, was rundown and confining. Looking through painful glasses, she saw more of the Bay Area’s flaws than its benefits. My childhood is full of happy memories of Oakland. It was my city, not Genevieve’s and I subconsciously faulted her for it.
One of the book’s most redeeming qualities is to play tourist in Paris with Genevieve. I genuinely enjoyed her friendship with a bread baker, her new neighbors, and the places she visited that were off the beaten path. My childhood also included beginning French lessons in third grade. The French phrases Blackwell included added a feeling of authenticity without being unapproachable. I want to visit Genevieve’s Paris, but I hope to do it under much happier circumstances.
My Rating: C, Finished It – Liked some, didn’t like some
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Book Review: The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell & Giveaway
Today we're reviewing The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell. The novel was published by New American Library as a paperback original out this week. If you comment below you could win a signed Advanced Reader Copy of
Juliet Blackwell's The Paris Key.
The Paris Key begins with Genevieve Martin in the throws of a divorce and dreaming about a childgood summer spent in Paris helping in her uncle's locksmith shop. This special summer not only left Genevieve with a love of Paris but also with a lifelong fascination with locks and keys. She still wears an antique key around her neck that she found with her mother's belongings after she passed away.
When her Uncle passes away Genevieve leaves her Calfornia home to return to Paris to run her uncle's shop.
The story of present day Genevieve is joined with that of her her mother's point of view as she fell in love with Paris in the past.
Don't forget to comment below to possibly win an autographed Advanced Reader Copy of The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell.