"After my son Kyle Ferriera van Leer declared his major in Egyptology at Yale in 2010, he mentioned the Book of Two Ways in passing. Without knowing a thing about it, I said, "That's a great title for a novel." It was only after he began to explain what it actually was that I realized what I needed to write about - the construct of time, and love, and life, and death"--Jodi Picoult
Louise Penny has written a heart warming mystery series set in Canada. Murder and heart warming might not seem like they go together, but it works here. The series features Inspector Armand Gamache, a charming and quiet Chief Inspector of homicide. First called to the remote village of Three Pines, we meet the main characters of the town, but also Gamache’s team. There is a lot of character development and rich descriptions of the settings, which are the real draw of the series. There seems to be an alarming amount of murder in the quaint town of Three Pines, Quebec.
Do the mellifluous tones of a sexy British and/or Irish accent make your heart purr? Are you envious of ramblers outfitted in Wellington boots and walking sticks as they explore the moors of the English countryside? Do you chortle as two posh, aristocratic women trade elegantly raised eyebrows and witty barbs over tea? Does the sight of Queen Elizabeth II opening Parliament in the Imperial State Crown and crimson velvet Robe of State fill you with tearful reverence? Does your pulse quicken as a broody, but determined Detective Chief Inspector chases a diabolical crim
In 2001, C.J. Box released his first novel featuring Joe Pickett, a game warden from Twelve Sleep Wyoming. Establishing Pickett as a man with a strong moral compass and fierce devotion to his friends and family, it isn’t hard to see why Box has written nineteen additional stories featuring this classic western archetype.
Reading mysteries that feature smart, resourceful and bold lady detectives is one of my favorite pastimes. I have quite a few favorites, including Phryne Fisher, Miss Jane Marple, Precious Ramotswe, Agatha Raisin, and Maisie Dobbs, to name a few. I’m always on the lookout for more fabulous femmes of detection. Meet Perveen Mistry, daughter of a wealthy and prominent Zorastrian family and the first woman solicitor (British for lawyer) in 1920s Bombay (modern-day Mumbai), India. India was controlled by the British government in the 1920s. The period of direct Bri
Steve Epting's art in comics and graphic novels is fantastic. Eptig is able to give Batwoman: The Many Arms of Death a classic feel with modern sensibilities, as he has with other superhero comics.
Maria Konnikova's family was going through a rough patch. Her grandmother passed away, her mother lost her job, and Konnikova herself was diagnosed with an unknown immune disorder that left her in constant pain. Chance had reared its ugly head, in a way that couldn't be mitigated by professional success or personal resolve. What does that say about individual agency? Can any of us actually take our fate into our own hands?
