Behind the Shattered Glass (Lady Emily, #8)

Behind the Shattered Glass
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★½
isbn: 9781250024701
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #8
Publication Date: January 1, 2013
Pages: 288
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books

This was one of the better ones, story wise, in the series. Emily and Colin are back on their home turf, and for some reason, I just prefer the home-ground settings. More of the characters a reader has become used to, I suppose.

I deducted 1/2 a star for two reasons: some of the plotting was just weak and loose; characters would lie about their whereabouts and when confronted with reports proving they lied, continue to lie about it and insist upon their story, only to off-handedly admit to lying later on. The second reason was the revelation of the killer – it could have been brilliant (the motivation was well thought out and strong) but the build up to the denouement blatantly manipulated the reader, leaving at least this reader feeling like I’d been tricked and deceived.

This is the last book in the series that I own. As far as I know there are at least two more recent ones, and I’ll probably pick them up if I find a good deal on them used, but I don’t feel compelled to search out the 9th book.

Death in the Floating City (Lady Emily, #7)

Death in the Floating City
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780312661762
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #7
Publication Date: January 1, 2012
Pages: 309
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books

I’m giving this 4 stars but really, it’s probably closer to 3.5 but it held my interest in a way few books have recently.

The story takes place in Venice and the author did a fantastic job with setting the scene, but still, for some reason, I was missing something that gave me that sense that I was there. Lady Emily is feeling rather self-important about her role as an investigator in this one too and that rather got on my nerves.

The book used a dual time-line plot between ‘present’ day (Victorian era) and the 1600’s, with alternating chapters; I normally detest these and I started reading with a certain amount of hostility about it. By the middle I was reading it with dread but completely immersed in the story and by the end I was looking up at the ceiling blinking rapidly and trying to get the tears to go back where they came from. The Victorian era plot was only just so-so and the big reveal about the murderer relied on hidden knowledge not shared with the reader. It’s truly the 17th century story that elevates this book an extra star.

A Crimson Warning (Lady Emily, #6)

A Crimson Warning
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780312661755
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #6
Publication Date: August 7, 2011
Pages: 352
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books

Newly returned to her home in Mayfair, Lady Emily Hargreaves is looking forward to enjoying the delights of the season. The delights, that is, as defined by her own eccentricities—reading The Aeneid, waltzing with her dashing husband, and joining the Women's Liberal Federation in the early stages of its campaign to win the vote for women. But an audacious vandal disturbs the peace in the capital city, splashing red paint on the neat edifices of the homes of London's elite. This mark, impossible to hide, presages the revelation of scandalous secrets, driving the hapless victims into disgrace, despair and even death. Soon, all of London high society is living in fear of learning who will be the next target, and Lady Emily and her husband, Colin, favorite agent of the crown, must uncover the identity and reveal the motives of the twisted mind behind it all before another innocent life is lost.

SO much better than the last one. Emily has stopped wallowing and is almost the same character I grew fond of in the first two books. She’s still a bit more obedient than I’d like, but I have to remember this is the Victorian age and no wife would get away with telling her husband to pull his head out of his ass.

Jeremy and Ivy are back in this book too. Ivy doesn’t do much for me either way, but I do love Jeremy’s wit and silliness. The author inserts journal entries from Ivy throughout the chapters that honestly added nothing to the story for me. She did this in her last book, using Emily’s mother-in-law’s journal, and that worked as a way of getting to know the woman in a way we wouldn’t have realistically been able to by relying on the narrative. But here… meh.

The plot though… the plot was good. I thoroughly enjoyed this story line and found it extremely relevant given society’s re-discovered fondness for public shaming. The mystery behind who was behind it all was done well enough; I neither knew who the culprit was nor was I surprised when it was revealed. The motivation was rather Machiavellian in the end and I enjoyed it.

This one has restored my enjoyment in the series; there are assuredly better examples of its kind out there, but so far this series is holding its own just fine.

Dangerous to Know (Lady Emily, #5)

Dangerous to Know
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★
isbn: 9780312383794
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #5
Publication Date: January 1, 2010
Pages: 306
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books

I liked this book the least of all 5 books so far. The series presents a heroine with modern ideas in Victorian times. She’s rich of course, smart, independent and has a husband who supports these scandalous ideas of equality. They investigate mysteries together, along with one or two friends they’ve made along the way. It’s been fun, mostly.

Until this one. This book would have been about 30% shorter and less irritating if someone had just given Emily a flog at the beginning of the book and told her to have at herself. Events in the previous book have given her a rude awakening about what equality might mean–rightly enough–but she positively wallowed throughout this book and didn’t begin to resemble the character I’d enjoyed previously. Colin too was something of an ass.

So, the story lumbered and dragged for me. I disliked pretty much everybody, and I was certain who the killer was. But then, towards the end, the last 25%, the story got exciting. I still pretty much disliked everyone, but events picked up pace dramatically and I was quite swept away in the excitement of it all. Add to that I was totally wrong about who the killer was (although I get points for proximity) and the book raised itself up to 3 stars instead of the two I had planned to give it.

Here’s hoping everyone pulls their sticks out in book 6.

All the President’s Menus (White House Chef Mysteries, #8)

All the President's Menus
by Julie Hyzy
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780425262399
Series: White House Chef Mystery #8
Publication Date: January 6, 2015
Pages: 294
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Due to a government sequester, entertaining at the White House has been severely curtailed. So executive chef Olivia Paras is delighted to hear that plans are still on to welcome a presidential candidate from the country of Saardisca—the first woman to run for office—and four of that nation’s top chefs.

But while leading the chefs on a kitchen tour, pastry chef Marcel passes out suddenly—and later claims he was drugged. When one of the visiting chefs collapses and dies, it’s clear someone has infiltrated the White House with ill intent. Could it be an anti-Saardiscan zealot? Is the candidate a target? Are the foreign chefs keeping more than their recipes a secret? Once again, Olivia must make sleuthing the special of the day…

A good read, though not as good as the previous four books. This time Olivia is dealing with a conspiracy tied to a foreign delegation of chefs as well as a government sequester that has left her short a couple of chefs.

I really enjoy Ms. Hyzy’s writing; she doesn’t write to formula and she has interesting ways of changing up her characters’ lives. She’s dropped a bomb into Olivia and Gav’s marriage that I can see massive possibilities for taking the series in a whole new direction at some point in the future. I liked that a lot. I can see Cyan’s future dovetailing nicely with this change as well. Nothing might come of any of it but at least she has a veteran cozy reader speculating about the “what if?”’s instead of yawning and thinking “yeah, yeah, cozy plot #4”.

I suspect I didn’t love this one as much as previous books because a lot of it centered around a country that the author necessarily had to fabricate and she did such a good job of creating it without aping any existing countries that it made it rather hard for me to invest myself in it. But the ending was great – I loved that final scene at Blair House (although Olivia’s final scene with the President wasn’t much of a surprise to me; it seemed the only plausible scenario).

The series started off slow for me, but exploded onto my top 10 list at book four, and this book only solidifies my attachment to Olivia, Gav and the rest of the crew. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Tears of Pearl (Lady Emily, #4)

Tears of Pearl
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780312383701
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #4
Publication Date: January 1, 2009
Pages: 307
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: William Morrow

I was tempted to give another 3.5 stars to this book, but I think personal bias might be getting in the way on this one, so I’ll err on the side of optimism.

The whole of this book takes place in Constantinople, during Lady Emily’s honeymoon. They become embroiled in a murder investigation that involves the Sultan’s harem and the son of an Englishman.

I’m of two minds about the setting; I’ve never found sultans or harems romantic or intriguing or even interesting. But I’ve always been fascinated by the advanced learnings of the Arabian culture. So while I found the whole sultan/harem thing a giant yawn, I did enjoy the glimpses of beauty, culture and education – especially on the part of the Turkish women (although I was struggling to keep track of who belonged to which palace). The author writes a fair story: she doesn’t deny the harems are at their base a form of slavery, but she is quick to point out that the English system wasn’t a model of feminism either; I thought she did a very good job comparing each against the other.

The murder mystery itself was again diabolical, but this time I knew the killer from the start. The motivation was a complete mystery until it’s revealed to Lady Emily, so my sureness as to the villain didn’t detract from my investment in the story.

A Fatal Waltz (Lady Emily, #3)

A Fatal Waltz
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★½
isbn: 9780061174223
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #3
Publication Date: January 1, 2008
Pages: 296
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: William Morrow

I’ll admit, I read a short story the author posted online about Emily and Colin that takes place immediately after A Fatal Waltz, before I read this book. The short story was replete with spoilers, so I knew, in essence, how this book ended. I don’t mind spoilers and I’ve been known to seek them out, but in this instance, it might have backfired a little.

A Fatal Waltz stalled a bit for me about midway. This could be because of the spoiler-effect or it could be that the story just didn’t intrigue me enough to hold my attention. I’m not sure. Either way, I enjoyed the book; I looked forward to picking it up and I got a bit irritable when I was interrupted. It just didn’t flow as quickly as the first two did.

A character from A Poisoned Season is murdered in this book (good riddance – he was vile) and Ivy’s husband is arrested and thrown into Newgate. Sensitive papers are missing and the victim had apparently received a warning/threat from Vienna before he was killed, but that too is missing. Lady Emily hies off to Vienna to try to find the person who sent the note, and it’s here the story might have first lost me, because it never seemed reasonable that Lady Emily had enough information to know where to start looking.

Lady Emily’s goals start merging/interfering with Colin’s assignment in Vienna and the two find themselves working together for the first time. But really, I think this entire plot construction was built around the romantic conflict of Lady Emily meeting one of Colin’s past um… dalliances. One who was rather disinclined to be pushed into the past. Ultimately, as I write this review, I think this is why the book wasn’t a 4-star or higher read for me: I’d bet a dollar that the author came up with the romantic conflict first and created a murder plot to justify it second.

Speaking of the murder plot – it was ultimately a very good one. I liked the way the author presented the pieces of the puzzle to both the reader and Lady Emily; I just wish it wasn’t so obfuscated by the shenanigans in Vienna.

I told myself I was going to take a break after this book and start reading some of the other books in the Pile, but when push came to shove last night, I picked up Tears of the Pearl and dove back into Colin and Lady Emily’s world. Guess I’m just not quite ready for a break.

A Poisoned Season (Lady Emily Mystery, #2)

A Poisoned Season
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★½
isbn: 9780061174148
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #2
Publication Date: January 1, 2007
Pages: 308
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mythology
Publisher: William Morrow

I thoroughly enjoyed this second outing of Lady Emily; I was sucked back into her society from the first page. No more guilt-ridden, moony angst! But it was not without its issues and shortcomings.

A Poisoned Season picks up where the last book And Only to Deceive leaves off – Emily has returned from Greece in time for the London Season but still chafes against the rules set out for polite society. There’s a pretender to the French throne in town, a cat burglar, and a murder – all contributing to the enlivenment of the season. In an attempt to help out her American friend Margaret, she unwittingly makes herself the focus of scandalous rumours concerning an illicit affair between herself and the Duke of Bainbridge. Colin is trying to stop a coup d’etat. Her best friend Ivy is having marital problems, and let’s not forget the wager between Lady Emily and Colin…

I think the author tried to weave too many threads into the story. Bainbridge is so prominent as to be considered a main character in the first half of the book – then he all but disappears without so much as a line of dialogue between himself and Emily. Perhaps we’ll see him again in a future book, but the reader isn’t given any indication of that. Also, there’s a growing animosity towards Lady Emily on the part of Robert’s boss, culminating with a nasty scene at Ivy’s ball – but it’s never explained. What was up with that?!?

Mostly, though, I just enjoyed the story and the mystery(ies). The murder mystery was exceptionally well done. I was totally bamboozled; talk about Machiavellian planning. The secondary mysteries were entertaining, but not overly impressive; the identity of one of the characters was evident from the first clue.

If I found Colin less than swoon-worthy in the first book, I was a true convert by the end of this one. He’s my idea of a romantic hero: confident enough of his own identity to be completely at ease with a strong, independent female. His gift at the end of the book was inspired for both it’s real value and its metaphorical one. If I didn’t like Lady Emily, he alone might be reason enough for me to keep reading.

A Little Night Murder (Blackbird Sisters Mystery, #10)

A Little Night Murder
by Nancy Martin
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780451415271
Series: Blackbird Sisters #10
Publication Date: August 4, 2014
Pages: 372
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Publisher: Obsidian

While a pregnant Nora relaxes in her best friend’s Bucks County pool, she doesn’t have far to look for her next big story. A Broadway show is in rehearsal next door at the home of the legendary late composer “Toodles” Tuttle. His diva widow, Boom Boom, reigns over his estate with an iron fist. She has also racked up a chorus line of enemies, so the old broad’s death is a hotly anticipated event. But imagine everyone’s dismay when it’s her beloved daughter, Jenny, who drops dead just as the lights are set to go on for the lucrative new Toodles musical.

This series is one of my top cozy favourites and I always look forward to the next one. A Little Night Murder, though – this one was just chock full o’ surprises.

Lexie’s back! Nora’s (the MC) best friend is out of prison early for reasons unexplained and Nora’s helping her hide from the press and all the former clients who lost their fortunes when Lexie’s partner’s embezzlement came to light. Nora is 7 months pregnant and her constant financial worries have reduced her to wearing her sister’s old maternity t-shirts sporting such gems as ‘Let Me Out, It’s Dark in Here!’ Nora and Mick are trying to prepare for the birth of not only their biological daughter, but for the adoption of Nora’s grand-niece whose biological mother is in prison and due the week after Nora. Speaking of biological mothers: Mick’s mom is in town and Nora’s meeting her for the first time.

Nora’s sisters aren’t left out of the angst either: Libby is imploding over becoming a grandmother and Emma has reached the pinnacle of unsuitability in her lovers.

Those are just the things mentioned on the front flap. I’m not mentioning anything else because if you enjoy this series, I don’t want to take anything away from the surprises awaiting you. Suffice it to say there are more than a fair few.

In the midst of all of this, Lexie’s neighbour, an old showgirl has-been is trying to revive her career, claiming she has found an unpublished musical left in her late husband’s papers. He was famous for his musicals and everybody is buzzing about this new find. Until the man’s daughter is found dead and oddities and absurdities surrounding the production become apparent. Nora’s editor has given her an ultimatum: a story about Lexie and her whereabouts, or a story about Jenny’s murder.

Generally speaking, this was a wonderful romp of a story and I didn’t want to stop reading it once I started. The mystery plotting is always well done, but my investment is 100% in the characters. The sisters and the people surrounding them are all fleshed out characters with realistic lives, if sometimes their names are a little out there. (I went to school with a Binky and Bubba (sister and brother) so I won’t say the names are unrealistic.)

My only harumph: Nora’s boss/editor is an Aussie and perhaps in an attempt to avoid the cliched Aussie slang terms such as Bonzer!, Fair Dinkum! etc. etc., the author has chosen to skate a bit close to the obscure. The one that sticks out the most is ‘dinger’ – which I had to look up. It’s recognised slang for ‘condom’ but my Aussie born-and-bred husband has never heard of it. Perhaps some of my BL Aussie friends are more familiar with it? There were a couple of others as well, but I forgot what they were and I’ll never find them again. Also, in a book with no swearing, I snickered over the author’s liberal use of ‘bugger’, but I’m assuming she’s well aware of the word’s meaning and is banking on most of her readers being unaware. I’m choosing to see it as a quiet little rebellion on her part. 🙂

The mystery is tied up at the end but the characters are left with a shock – not a cliffhanger, but definitely a story to be continued. Which makes me happy, because it means there’s another Blackbird Sister adventure on the horizon. Somebody pass me the champagne and a tacky t-shirt.

NB: I’ve been googling the surprise at the end of this book and personally I think it’s a tissue paper dragon based on the holes apparent after a quick search. But such a thing does exist, who knew?

And Only to Deceive (Lady Emily Mystery, #1)

And Only to Deceive
by Tasha Alexander
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780060756710
Series: Lady Emily Mystery #1
Publication Date: October 11, 2005
Pages: 310
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Mystery
Publisher: William Morrow

‘A Novel of Suspense.’

No, not really. Whomever read this book and thought it suspenseful needs to get out more.

It was a very good read though – I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s the age-old tale of ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone’ with Greek antiquities, art forgery, romance and mystery thrown into the mix.

Emily makes a very good marriage to Viscount Ashton for the sole purpose of getting away from her harpy of a mother: a decision I whole-heartendly endorsed after only one scene involving that nasty shrew. Mere months after the marriage, her husband dies of a fever while on an African safari, leaving her a very wealthy widow. When her late husband’s best friend, Colin, pays her a visit, telling her he promised Lord Ashton that Emily would see their villa in Santorini, Greece – a property she owned but didn’t even know about – she decides she ought to learn more about this man she married but knew nothing about.

Thus begins Emily’s adventures. As she learns more about her husband Philip, she learns she had a very good man in her life for far too short a time – or maybe he wasn’t such a good man? This is what comes from a lack of communication in a marriage: Emily is left with contradicting information and evidence – he was either very noble or a massive scoundrel She must sort it all out since she has fallen obsessively in love with her husband post mortem. I found this just a touch nauseating – almost to eye-rolling stage. I understand the regret she’d feel, but not love after the fact.

Along the way, she discovers another passion; this one for knowledge, specifically, ancient Greece. She dives into her education, much to the consternation and disgust of her mother – which really, is a total perk for both Emily and the reader.

I loved the characterisations – each person is boldly sketched out on the page, clear enough to almost be seen. The Parisian settings are vivd, even though few words are used.

The plot was well done, although again – NOT suspenseful. This isn’t the sort of plot the reader figures out before Lady Emily does. The villain is revealed slowly over the course of the story. There’s no grand denouement, although there is a critical unveiling, which I thought was handled particularly well (no TSTL moments).

There are 8 more books in this series so far – YAY! I’m off to order the next few; I definitely enjoyed the story enough to want to know what happens next.

NB: I particularly enjoyed that the author thought to include a few brief sections at the end: The Story behind The Story, Fact vs. Fiction, Location, Location, Location and a Suggested Reading. As a complete novice with all things historical, I appreciated knowing what was authentic to the time, and what she took authorial license with. It’s a nice touch.