strange and random happenstance

My Batman fatigue set in in 2008. If Christopher Nolan couldn't be bothered to take down outdoor signage for the Lyric Opera of Chicago I don't know why I should be bothered to care about The Dark Knight. Also, controversial opinion, Heath Ledger didn't deserve the Oscar that year, but he did deserve it more than Robert Downey Junior. Since then we've gone through quite a few Batmen and my top picks might be a bit controversial, but with George Clooney being back maybe not as much as they once were. And wherever there is Batman there's his trusty butler. In fact for the who's who among actors I think Alfred has drawn the bigger names; Andy Serkis, Michael Caine, Jeremy Irons, Michael Gough, Sean Pertwee, Tom Hollander, Efrem Zimbalist Junior, and on and on. But one interesting development over the years is that Alfred has slowly become less and less posh, Michael Caine and Sean Pertwee really upping the ante. Sean Pertwee's rougher Alfred created by Bruno Heller for Gotham. But I just couldn't get into Gotham despite my Pertwee love. My problem was Gotham was still too rooted in the Batman mythology, seeing all these characters as younger versions of themselves and what they were to become. Which is why I was drawn to Pennyworth. Also created by Bruno Heller he seems to have realized the limitations of his previous series and limited his characters here. Here we have Alfred, and Batman's parents, Thomas and Martha. And that's it. Set in London during the swinging sixties the world created is a fascinating mashup of Last Night in Soho and V for Vendetta with a giant helping of Michael Caine's oeuvre. Our Alfie as played by Jack Bannon couldn't exist without Caine's Alfie. He exudes that cockney coolness and surety while also bringing a bit of Fred Thursday to the role, an inevitability as he played his son Sam on Endeavour for it's entire run. But the show isn't just a standout performance by Bannon, every actor is perfectly chosen to bring to life this vibrant alternative universe that mimics our Cold War but at the same time is wholly unique. Sadly season two leaned too far into mimicking World War II saved only by Peg and Bet. But then again Peg and Bet could save anyone and anything if they had a mind to. So how did they decide to fix the season two mistakes? By making sure everyone knew this show was about Batman's Butler by adding an absurdly ludicrous subtitle. I mean, surly people aren't so dumb they didn't connect the two. Please tell me I'm right because otherwise humanity is doomed. Much like London. Because while we're moving on from diamond geezers to the swinging sixties with hippies we're getting a darker side with the CIA experimenting with "MKUltra" and Patty Hearst and the Manson Family and an artist that looks like a stretched out Brian Eno. Trust me, he's up to no good. So while the aesthetic is very reminiscent of Adam West's Batman 66; brighter colors, dafter plots, and People With Enhancements, AKA PWEs, as pro superheroes and villains, there is a distinct underlying malevolence. Perhaps because they've fully embraced V for Vendetta in what I though was a lovely meta moment but according to the creators of the show is where they were heading all along because they view Pennyworth as a prequel to V for Vendetta as well as Gotham. Say what!?! Does James Purefoy know because I think he'd have something to say. Also you're still not getting me to watch Gotham. No matter how much I want closure and answers.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alfred Pennyworth, And the Emmy Goes To, Batman, Bruno Heller, Endeavour, Gotham, Jack Bannon, James Purefoy, Last Night in Soho, London, Michael Caine, MKUltra, Pennyworth, Sean Pertwee, V for Vendetta

The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge by Martin Edwards
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: August 1st, 2023
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rachel Savernake investigates a bizarre locked-room puzzle in this delicious Gothic mystery from the winner of the CWA Diamond Dagger.

1930. Nell Fagan is a journalist on the trail of an intriguing and bizarre mystery: in 1606, a man vanished from a locked gatehouse in a remote Yorkshire village, and 300 years later, it happened again. Nell confides in the best sleuth she knows, judge's daughter Rachel Savernake. Thank goodness she did, because barely a week later Nell disappears, and Rachel is left to put together the pieces of the puzzle.

Looking for answers, Rachel travels to lonely Blackstone Fell in Yorkshire, with its eerie moor and sinister tower. With help from her friend Jacob Flint - who's determined to expose a fraudulent clairvoyant - Rachel will risk her life to bring an end to the disappearances and bring the truth to light.

A dazzling mystery peopled by clerics and medics; reporters and rogues, Blackstone Fell explores the shadowy borderlands between spiritual and scientific; between sanity and madness; and between virtue and deadly sin."

A locked room mystery with a mystic? Oh my yes.

The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall
Published by: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 1st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A ghost haunting her boarding school uncovers a teen girl's best kept secrets in the Queen of Scream's deliciously terrifying new novel.

Everyone has heard the story of the Narrow. The river that runs behind the Atwood School is only a few feet across and seemingly placid, but beneath the surface, the waters are deep and vicious. It's said that no one who has fallen in has ever survived.

Eden White knows that isn't true. Six years ago, she saw Delphine Fournier fall into the Narrow - and live.

Delphine now lives in careful isolation, sealed off from the world. Even a single drop of unpurified water could be deadly to her, and no one but Eden has any idea why. Eden has never told anyone what she saw or spoken to Delphine since, but now, unable to cover her tuition, she has to make a deal: her expenses will be paid in return for serving as a live-in companion to Delphine.

Eden finds herself drawn to the strange and mysterious girl, and the two of them begin to unravel each other's secrets. Then Eden discovers what happened to the last girl who lived with Delphine: she was found half-drowned on dry land. Suddenly Eden is waking up to wet footprints tracking to the end of her bed, the sound of rain on the windows when the skies are clear, and a ghostly silhouette in her doorway. Something is haunting Delphine - and now it's coming for Eden, too."

Oh, dry drowning mystery!

One Night by Georgina Cross
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: August 1st, 2023
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One night. That's all the time a family has to decide what to do with the man they believe murdered their daughter: Do they forgive him, or do they take justice into their own hands?

The anonymous letters arrive in the mail, one by one: To find out what really happened to Meg, meet at this location. Don't tell anyone you're coming. In one night, you'll find out everything you need to know.

Ten years after her murder, the letters tell Meghan's family exactly when and where to meet: a cliffside home on the Oregon coast. But on the night they're promised answers, the convicted killer - her high school boyfriend, Cal, who spent only ten years in prison for murder - is found unconscious in his car after it slammed into a tree near the house where the family is sitting and waiting. Is he really the one who invited them to gather?

As a storm rampages along the Pacific Northwest, the power cuts off and leaves the family with no chance of returning to the main road and finding help. So they drag Cal back to the house for the remainder of the night. How easy it would be to let him die and claim it was an accident. Or do they help him instead? As the hours tick by, it becomes an excruciating choice. Half of the family wants to kill him. The other half wants him to regain consciousness so he can tell them what he knows.

But if Cal wakes up, he might reveal that someone in the family knows more than they're letting on. And if that's the case, who is the real killer? And are they already in the house?"

It's like Clue meets Murder on the Orient Express! 

Death in Print by G.M. Malliet
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: August 1st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A celebration in Oxford for university tutor and bestselling author Jason Verdoot, attended by DCI St. Just and his fiancée Portia, is a night to remember...for all the wrong reasons.

University of Oxford tutor and bestselling author Jason Verdoodt has it all: acclaim, women, money...and an enemy or two. When he's found dead at the bottom of the stairs during a celebratory reception at St Rumwold's College, many wonder if seething jealousy of his literary success has turned someone's mind to murder.

Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just becomes inescapably drawn into an investigation that takes him down the historic streets of Oxford and into the hallowed halls of its university. Alongside his fiancée, crime fiction writer Portia De'Ath, he uncovers several motives for murdering the celebrated but insufferable Jason - whose next novel may be a threat to many in his orbit - and no shortage of suspects who are nursing a grudge from the first novel. Has someone decided to write revenge into the plot?"

To fill the Endeavour sized hole in your life.

The Bookbinder by Pip Williams
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: August 1st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young British woman working in a book bindery gets a chance to pursue knowledge and love when World War I upends her life in this new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese's Book Club pick The Dictionary of Lost Words.

It is 1914, and as the war draws the young men of Britain away to fight, women must keep the nation running. Two of those women are Peggy and Maude, twin sisters who live on a narrow boat in Oxford and work in the bindery at the university press.

Ambitious, intelligent Peggy has been told for most of her life that her job is to bind the books, not read them - but as she folds and gathers pages, her mind wanders to the opposite side of Walton Street, where the female students of Oxford's Somerville College have a whole library at their fingertips. Maude, meanwhile, wants nothing more than what she has: to spend her days folding the pages of books in the company of the other bindery girls. She is extraordinary but vulnerable, and Peggy feels compelled to watch over her.

Then refugees arrive from the war-torn cities of Belgium, sending ripples through the Oxford community and the sisters' lives. Peggy begins to see the possibility of another future where she can educate herself and use her intellect, not just her hands. But as war and illness reshape her world, her love for a Belgian soldier - and the responsibility that comes with it - threaten to hold her back.

The Bookbinder is a story about knowledge - who creates it, who can access it, and what truths get lost in the process. Much as she did in the international bestseller The Dictionary of Lost Words, Pip Williams thoughtfully explores another rarely seen slice of history through women's eyes."

Ah yes, the responsibilities of love that can hold you back. I know that all too well.

The Bone Hacker by Kathy Reichs
Published by: Scribner Book Company
Publication Date: August 1st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her twenty-second high-stakes thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan who, following a series of bizarre disappearances on the islands of Turks and Caicos, enters a sinister labyrinth in which a new technology may wreak worldwide havoc.

Called in to examine what is left of a person thought to have been struck by lightning, Tempe traces an unusual tattoo to its source and is soon embroiled in a much larger case. Young men - tourists - have been disappearing on the islands of Turks and Caicos. Seven years earlier, the first victim was found in a strange location with his left hand hacked off; subsequently, two other visitors vanished without a trace. But, recently, tantalizing leads have emerged and only Tempe can unravel them.

Maddeningly, the victims seem to have nothing in common - other than the odd places where their bodies turn up, and the fact that none seems likely to have been involved in criminal activity. Do these attacks have something to do with the islands' seething culture of gang violence? Tempe isn't so sure. Disturbingly, she discovers evidence that what's at stake may actually have global significance.

It isn't long before the sound of a ticking clock grows menacingly loud. Then Temperance herself becomes a target."

Because once you're in Turks and Caicos, well, anything illicit is on that table.

A Pocketful of Happiness by Richard E. Grant
Published by: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: August 1st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Academy Award-nominated actor Richard E. Grant's memoir about finding happiness in even the darkest of days.

Richard E. Grant emigrated from Swaziland to London in 1982, with dreams of making it as an actor. Unexpectedly, he met and fell in love with a renowned dialect coach Joan Washington. Their relationship and marriage, navigating the highs and lows of Hollywood, parenthood, and loss, lasted almost forty years. When Joan died in 2021, her final challenge to him was to find a "pocketful of happiness in every day."

This honest and frequently hilarious memoir is written in honor of that challenge - Richard has faithfully kept a diary since childhood, and in these entries he shares raw detail of everything he has experienced: both the pain of losing his beloved wife, and the excitement of their life together, from the role that transformed his life overnight in Withnail and I to his thrilling Oscar Award nomination thirty years later for Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Told with candor in Richard's utterly unique style, A Pocketful of Happiness is a powerful, funny, and moving celebration of life's unexpected joys."

As with his acting and his other books, I have always admired Richard E. Grant's ability to find the positive in the bleakest of times.

The Book of Witches edited by Jonathan Strahan
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: August 1st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With a breathtaking array of original stories from around the world, P. Djèlí Clark, Amal El Mohtar, Garth Nix, Darcie Little Badger, Sheree Renée Thomas, and two dozen other fantasy and science fiction geniuses bring a new and exciting twist to one of the most beloved figures in fiction, witches, in never-before-seen works written exclusively for The Book of Witches, compiled by award-winning editor Jonathan Strahan and illustrated by award-nominated artist Alyssa Winans.

Witches! Whether you know them from Shakespeare or from Wicked, there is no staple more beloved in folklore, fairy tale, or fantasy than these magical beings. Witches are everywhere, and at the heart of stories that resonate with many people around the world. This dazzling, otherworldly collection gathers new stories of witches from all walks of life, ensuring a Halloween readers will never forget. Whether they be maiden, mother, crone, or other; funny, fierce, light and airy, or dark and disturbing; witches are a vital part of some of the greatest stories we have, and new ones start here!

Bringing together twenty-nine stories and poems from some of the greatest science fiction and fantasy writers working today, including three tales from a BIPOC-only open submission period, The Book of Witches features Linda Addison, C.L. Clark, P Djeli Clark, Indrapramit Das, Amal El Mohtar, Andrea Hairston, Millie Ho, Saad Hossain, Kathleen Jennings, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Cassandra Khaw, Fonda Lee, Darcie Little Badger, Ken Liu, Usman T. Malik, Maureen F. McHugh, Premee Mohamed, Garth Nix, Tobi Ogundiran, Tochi Onyebuchi, Miyuki Jane Pinckard, Kelly Robson, Angela Slatter, Andrea Stewart, Emily Teng, Sheree Renée Thomas, Tade Thompson, and E. Lily Yu - and contains illustrations from three-time Hugo award-nominated artist Alyssa Winans throughout. This extraordinary anthology vividly breathes life into one of the most captivating and feared magical sorceresses and will become a treasured keepsake for fans of fantasy, science fiction, and fairy tales everywhere."

Because it's never too early to start planning your Halloween reading.

Ravensong by T.J. Klune
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: August 1st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author T.J. Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and joy. The Bennett family has a secret: They're not just a family, they're a pack. Ravensong is Gordo Livingstone's story.

Gordo Livingstone never forgot the lessons carved into his skin. Hardened by the betrayal of a pack who left him behind, he sought solace in the garage in his tiny mountain town, vowing never again to involve himself in the affairs of wolves. It should have been enough. And it was, until the wolves came back, and with them, Mark Bennett. In the end, they faced the beast together as a pack...and won.

Now, a year later, Gordo has found himself once again the witch of the Bennett pack. Green Creek has settled after the death of Richard Collins, and Gordo constantly struggles to ignore Mark and the song that howls between them. But time is running out. Something is coming. And this time, it's crawling from within. Some bonds, no matter how strong, were made to be broken."

Please tell me that Gordo is named for Mister Gordo from Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

Field of Screams by Wendy Parris
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: August 1st, 2023
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A new pulse-pounding supernatural mystery about twelve-year-old Rebecca, who has always wanted to hunt ghosts...until she meets one.

Paranormal enthusiast Rebecca Graff isn't happy about being dragged to Iowa to spend the summer with family she barely knows. But when she tracks a ghostly presence to an abandoned farmhouse, she starts to think the summer won't be a total lost cause!

The trouble is no one believes her. Then Rebecca finds a note stashed in a comic belonging to her late father - a note that proves the same spirit haunted him when he was twelve. Suddenly she feels a connection to the dad she pretends not to miss, and she is determined to uncover the story behind the haunting.

But the more Rebecca discovers, the scarier the ghost becomes. Soon she is in a race to piece together the puzzle and recover a family legacy before it is lost forever and a horrible tragedy repeats itself."

I've always felt that people who want to hunt ghosts have no experience of actually meeting a ghost. Because that experience will sure change their minds fast.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Clue, Endeavour, G.M. Malliet, Georgina Cross, Gothic, Jonathan Strahan, Kate Alice Marshall, Kathy Reichs, Martin Edwards, Oxford, Pip Williams, Richard E. Grant, T.J. Klune, The Book of Witches, Wendy Parris

Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
Published by: Gollancz
Publication Date: March 1st, 2011
Format: Paperback, 375 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

A body is just a body unless something uncanny happened to it. Cyrus Wilkinson apparently dropped dead of a heart attack while playing with his jazz quartet. He wasn't the first and he won't be the last jazz musician to die in such a fashion. But his body is different. As PC Peter Grant examines the body he sees why he was brought in. Or should that be hears why. Because he hears the strains to the song "Body and Soul." Despite outward appearances, this man died by magic. And the song is the key. Which means instead of turning to his boss, DCI Thomas Nightingale, he's turning to his dad. "Lord" Grant was a legend in his time. That's when he was able to play and not crippled by his addiction. It has always broken his father's heart that Peter just doesn't like jazz, but he is more than happy to spend time with Peter looking for the exact version of "Body and Soul" that Cyrus Wilkinson's body was emitting. This version has a little swing, a little something special, and it was played by one Ken "Snakehips" Johnson who died in the Blitz when a bomb hit the Café de Paris in Soho. Which leads Peter into the heart of Soho. He's sure that Cyrus Wilkinson's death wasn't the first and won't be the last. Someone is draining the life force out these talented musicians like some sort of jazz vampire, and yes, he realizes that he should have probably thought of a better name, but it's too late to change it now. With Nightingale recuperating from his recent gunshot wound and Lesley on medical leave in Brightlingsea, Peter is on this case by himself, until he picks up the remaining members of Cyrus Wilkinson's quartet as his own Irregulars who view him as a descendant of royalty. But really, the "Lord" is just a moniker gifted to his father by Ray Charles. But then there's also Simone. Simone was living with Cyrus Wilkinson before his death and she just keeps showing up wherever Peter turns. Sure Soho is small, but it can't be a coincidence. Soon she is all he is concerned with. His obsession leaves his police work by the wayside. Peter needs to remember there are jazz vampires and something far worse walking the streets of Soho and he's at the center of it.

As it so happens with the randomness of the universe I read two books set in Soho back to back. One perfectly captured Soho, and let's say, it wasn't the one written by a heavily lauded author known for her historical fiction, it was the one written by a former writer of Doctor Who novelizations which happened to include jazz vampires. While repeatedly saying jazz vampires might make you think that this book which perfectly blends the paranormal with the procedural might be a bit absurd and silly, I would counter that there's more snark and the humor is perfectly dark so the jazz vampires really do make sense even if Peter will forever feel a bit silly about giving them that name. There's also this storied history about Soho, we see the layers of time and the shifting of taste and music. I kept thinking it was the supernatural equivalent of Last Night in Soho. These two different forms of art captured a time and a place better than the previously alluded to historical fiction award winner. Then adding the procedural element on top and, oh my, I started to get Endeavour vibes. That seediness, that world where the line between cops and criminals was so narrow as to hardly exist. Clubs with smoke clinging to the wallpaper and the ever present threat of danger. And don't even get me started on the Strip Club of Doctor Moreau. Again, sounds funny, but really terrifying. Like the most horrific mashup of the London nightclub scene with "human" trafficking. I devoured this book over two days in which I literally did nothing else that wasn't necessary to keep myself alive. I enjoyed the first book, I worship this one. But what has given Peter a permanent place in my heart is his opinion on jazz. Peter's inner monologue when his Dad "played a couple of bars of 'Body and Soul', stating the melody before vamping and then taking the line in a direction that I've never been able to follow or appreciate. He looked disappointed at my reaction - he keeps hoping that I'll grow into it one day." Made my heart sing. I can't stand jazz, I can't stand the vamping. I NEED a melody that doesn't spiral off into wankery for thirty minute impromptu solos of experimentation. The music will never take me, or Peter, like that, and I am forever grateful to find a kindred soul.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ben Aaronovitch, Doctor Who, Endeavour, Jazz, Jazz Vampires, Kate Atkinson, Last Night in Soho, London Calling, Lord Grant, Moon Over Soho, Nightingale, Peter Grant, Rivers of London, Soho, The Island of Dr. Moreau

The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: November 6th, 2014
Format: Kindle, 338 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

A woman's body has been found in the Brighton train depot. Cut and placed in three boxes, one of which was sent directly to the police station. The task of catching the killer falls to Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens. His first thought is that the presentation of the body is rather theatrical. In fact it reminds him of a magic trick created by the great Max Mephisto called "The Zig Zag Girl" that he saw with his brother before the war. Edgar's hunch is confirmed when the identity of the victim turns out to be Max's old assistant, Ethel. Edgar got to know Max during the war. They served together in a unit called the Magic Men. The unit was basically a ghost unit running magicians up in Scotland to confound the Nazis, with Edgar being a civilian recruited to the MI5 unit due to his crossword savvy. None of them look back too fondly on the time, aside from losing the love of his life, Edgar had an easy war, unlike his brother who didn't survive it, something he is sure his mother is still holding against him. Edgar therefore felt it imperative that his life mean something, and instead of going back to college he joined the police. Max on the other hand liked having an audience, which is why as soon as the war was over he went back to the stage, as did their comrades Stan "The Great Diablo" Parks and Tony Mulholland. No one has heard from Diablo in years, but it can't be a coincidence that Max arrives in Brighton and is on the same bill as Tony Mulholland right when Edgar is looking into the murder being linked to the Magic Men. There is no doubt they are being targeted when Tony, who had his sights on taking his "magic" and "mesmerism" to the next level with American television, ends up dead right when he had something important to tell Edgar. This is personal. What's more, the killer isn't just targeting them now, they are being baited. "The Wolf Trap" will be their next trick, but who will be the victim?

There are few people whose book recommendations I always heed. One of those people is Lauren Willig. When she said that Elly Griffiths's series known as "The Brighton Mysteries" or "The Magic Men Mysteries," depending on where you are in the series, as Endeavour set in Brighton, I knew I had to instantly read them. Because in all seriousness, who doesn't need an Inspector Morse fix every once in awhile? And I instantly got the Morse vibe with Edgar Stephens and his crosswords, but with the Max Mephisto side of this I was getting a distinct Lost Empires vibe. Lost Empires is a horridly depressing adaptation of the book by the same name by L.B. Priestley about a young man played by Colin Firth and his experiences in music halls on the eve of the first World War. Other than being a completest, there was no reason I watched this miniseries to it's grueling end until now. Because that little extra insight of what it's like to travel from town to town and theater to theater made me understand Max's life and made Lost Empires worth it. And I seriously thought watching Lost Empires would never pay off in any tangible way other than giving me nightmares about Laurence Olivier dressed up as a munchkin offing himself. As for the book itself? There's no getting around the fact that it was obviously written as the first in a series. So while this book could work on it's own, it really works better knowing that this is setting everything up for the continued success of the series. This means that the plot was rather predictable. When a group of formally close colleagues that have a secret and a past start getting targeted, well, it's kind of obvious who's behind it all. So for me the plot just plodded along until the final reveal I had seen coming from the beginning. That isn't to say this book didn't work, it did, but as a character study. This was all about meeting the characters and understanding them for the adventures that are to come. And, oh, they are wonderful adventures. But the first outing... it suffers because of what it is and what it's meant to be. There is no mystery to solve there.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Brighton, Colin Firth, Crosswords, Edgar Stephens, Elly Griffiths, Endeavour, Ghost Armies, Inspector Morse, Laurence Olivier, Lost Empires, Magic Men, Max Mephisto, Murder, Murder Most Foul, The Zig Zag Girl, WWI

Earlier this year I watched all the episodes of Endeavour that have currently been released. The biggest joy of watching the prequel to Inspector Morse is Roger Allam as Fred Thursday. So obviously once I had watched all the episodes of Endeavour I started having severe Roger Allam withdrawal. The Morse withdrawals were staved off by moving directly onto an Inspector Morse rewatch. Thankfully BritBox came to the rescue for all my Allam needs with the timely release of Murder in Provence, an adaptation of the Verlaque and Bonnet series by M.L. Longworth. Allam is still firmly in the crime solving genre, but he's traded in his trademark mac and fedora for blue suits and skies. And as for his day of the week sandwiches? They have been upgraded to fresh seafood and delectable French cuisine. This is a series as much about the lifestyle of Provence as it is about the crime solving. Which brings me to one of the main criticisms of the show by reviewers, and that's it's a show about France, set in France, and yet where are the French actors? It's like the stable of British actors who appear in murder mysteries were just given trips to Provence instead of French actors being found. And while yes, I can agree with this criticism, I have two rejoinders, it could have been worse, with the British actors putting on French accents, and Roger Allam. This show got made because of his star power. It's not blind luck that this show actually crashed BritBox when it premiered. This wouldn't have happened with a French cast, which is just a sad truth. But seeing so many actors who have been on Endeavour and Father Brown in different roles with their old costars is just comforting. Which is what this show is, a comforting murder mystery, with a little more style and substance than most. Though what I really connected to was the relationship of Antoine Verlaque and Marine Bonnet as played by Roger Allam and Nancy Carroll respectively. They are an older couple who are unmarried and yet have a fruitful relationship surrounded by quirky friends and family. I defy you not to love Marine's communist mother and Didier Laurent AKA Dirk Gently by another name. But going back to their mature relationship, they have real conversations, about health issues like prostates and menopause. And yes, I feel like it ages me saying that these conversations add some weight to the show, but it's refreshing seeing these subjects handled in a matter of fact way amongst all the other issues of a crime solving life. Even if Nancy Carroll is far younger than you would guess!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Aging, And the Emmy Goes To, Antoine Verlaque, BritBox, Dirk Gently, Endeavour, Father Brown, France, Fred Thursday, Inspector Morse, M.L. Longworth, Marine Bonnet, Murder in Provence, Nancy Carroll, Roger Allam

Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium by Paul Kidby
Published by: Gollancz
Publication Date: April 24th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Paul Kidby, Sir Terry Pratchett's artist of choice, provided the illustrations for The Last Hero, designed the covers for the Discworld novels since 2002 and is the author of the bestseller The Art Of Discworld.

Now, Paul Kidby has collected the very best of his Discworld illustrations in this definitive volume, including 40 pieces never before seen, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and BCA editions, and 17 book cover illustrations since 2004 that have never been seen without cover text.

If Terry Pratchett's pen gave his characters life, Paul Kidby's brush allowed them to live it, and nowhere is that better illustrated than in this magnificent book."

Two things I love in this world: Terry Pratchett and Paul Kidby. I love it even more when they're together!

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: April 24th, 2018
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set amidst the breathtaking beauty of Oxford, this sparkling debut novel tells the unforgettable story about a determined young woman eager to make her mark in the world and the handsome man who introduces her to an incredible love that will irrevocably alter her future—perfect for fans of JoJo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks.

American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is, until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.

When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.

Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for."

Why would I read a book that is compared to Nicholas Sparks? I needs my Oxford fix bad! It's a whole year until I get more Endeavour! 

Murder in the Locked Library by Ellery Adams
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 24th, 2018
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to Storyton Hall, Virginia, where book lovers travel from near and far to enjoy the singular comforts of the Agatha Christie Tea Room, where they can discuss the merits of their favorite authors no matter how deadly the topic...

With her twins, Fitzgerald and Hemingway, back in school, Jane Steward can finally focus on her work again—managing Storyton Hall, and breaking ground on the resort’s latest attraction: a luxurious, relaxing spa named in honor of Walt Whitman. But when the earth is dug up to start laying the spa’s foundation, something else comes to the surface—a collection of unusual bones and the ragged remnants of a very old book. The attendees of the Rare Book Conference are eager to assist Jane with this unexpected historical mystery—until a visitor meets an untimely end in the Henry James Library. As the questions—and suspects—start stacking up, Jane will have to uncover a killer before more unhappy endings ensue..."

A book retreat themed cozy? YAS! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Cozy, Discworld, Ellery Adams, Endeavour, Julia Whelan, Murder in the Locked Library, My Oxford Year, Oxford, Paul Kidby, Terry Pratchett, Tuesday Tomorrow

By including Endevour I'm kind of bending the rules as to book adaptations. But seriously, I couldn't leave off a show of such brilliant acting and atmosphere even if it's really a prequel to an adaptation. Endeavour follows the career of a young Inspector Morse, who was created by the wonderful Colin Dexter and brought to life by John Thaw for over twenty years starting in the late eighties. Inspector Morse was so loved and so iconic that a sequel centering on his second in command, Robbie Lewis, soon came about and after nine stellar seasons the only logical solution to fill this Morse sized hole in the viewing schedule was a prequel, until the inevitable Hathaway spinoff that is! What makes Endeavour so wonderful, aside from the casting, the music, the scripts, the locations, the little references for die hard fans, is that it's a period piece! It's almost like someone looked into my head and saw that by combining my love of period drama and my love of Inspector Morse it could result in the perfect show. Set in Oxford during the sixties the golden hues on the screen just call back to a more innocent time that was simultaneously in upheaval. And while many people will rightly point to Roger Allam's portrayal of Fred Thursday, Morse's boss, as the star, I say look to the subtle performance of Shaun Evans as the titular character, he is the glue that keeps it all together.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 1960s, 80s, Adaptation, And the Emmy Goes To, Colin Dexter, Endeavour, Fred Thursday, Hathaway, Inspector Morse, John Thaw, Lewis, Oxford, Period Drama, Robbie Lewis, Roger Allam, Shaun Evans

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
Published by: Forge
Publication Date: November 1st, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 294 Pages
Rating: ★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Watson has always hesitated sharing this story. He felt it was too shocking and would destroy the fabric of society. But as a world war rages he once again puts pen to paper. Holmes is gone and he feels this story needs to be told, though he will request that it is withheld for one hundred years so that hopefully society will not be as scandalized. The adventure started as many did, as Holmes and Watson sat in front of the fire of 221B Baker Street. A Mr. Carstairs arrived wishing for their assistance. He was an art dealer who inadvertently got on the wrong side of a thuggish Irish gang in Boston called "The Flat Cap Gang." He has reason to believe one of the two ringleaders has followed him to London to exact revenge. Holmes and Watson quickly resolve his problem as the man, the supposed Keelan O'Donaghue, ends up dead and the case is closed. But in actuality it is just the beginning. In finding "Keelan O'Donaghue" one of the Baker Street Irregulars has gone missing. Usually this wouldn't be a cause for concern, but there's something about the way young Ross reacted to seeing Mr. Castairs at the crime scene that has Holmes wondering. As Holmes digs further into the case of Ross he starts to hear mention of "The House of Silk." Holmes is certain that if he could only find out who or what this organization is that everything would fall into place. But even Mycroft warns him to back away, and soon Holmes is in grave danger. Whomever they may be, The House of Silk doesn't want Holmes exposing them and eliminating one detective, no matter how famous, is a small price to pay in their eyes.

There is no doubt that Anthony Horowitz is talented. If his only legacy was Foyle's War he'd be good as gold. But he also helped adapt Midsomer Murders for television as well as Poirot, not to mention the wonderful mini-series Injustice he created, they are all wonderful fare. But for me he's polarizing. For every right move he makes, he makes a wrong one, like marrying Sam to that numskull Adam. That sin alone deserves some sort of punishment, like being slapped silly with a large fish. Sam was meant to end up with Andrew! But then again, Julian Ovenden doesn't seem to be able to catch a break, he loses Sam and then Lady Mary on Downton Abbey chucks him for Matthew Goode. So for all my love of Anthony Horowitz, there's some hate in there as well, and a lot of that hate is now centered on The House of Silk. This predictable mess of a mystery doesn't deserve to be endorsed by the Conan Doyle Estate, it needs to be burned in effigy as a crime against the legacy of Sherlock Holmes. There are so many good books out there that are reimaginings and continuations of Holmes it baffles me that this is the one given the seal of approval, that little mark of Sherlock in his deerstalker hat with the shadow of Conan Doyle and his walrusy mustache. The most mind-boggling thing about The House of Silk is how Horowitz seems to purposefully set out to undermine all other non-canonical books. It's not enough that he's "official" but that everyone else has to be wrong. He is forcibly trying to change every preconception other writers have given Holmes over the years. Holmes doesn't outlive Watson, Mycroft is also equally indestructible, living to an old age despite his corpulence, which Horowitz takes glee in elucidating. Horowitz is the new voice of Holmes and he won't let there be any ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Horowitz spends too much time randomly answering questions that have popped up over the years without regard to anything but his whim. Holmes wasn't at Watson's wedding, Watson had three children in his second marriage, Mary died of typhoid fever, and on and on, just throwing out little tidbits that will appeal to those with an obsessive desire to know everything about these characters. Yet these little glimpses would have worked had Horowitz proved he actually knew Holmes and his canon. It becomes quickly apparent that Horowitz is a dilettante when it comes to Holmes so therefore all these little insights come across as self-indulgent crap as he tries to leave his mark on a greater writer's legacy. The canonical issues would drive any true fan to distraction. While I wouldn't say I'm an obsessive, I would say that the least he could have done was got it right in order to earn that badge of honor from the Conan Doyle Estate. The scenario that drove me most round the bend was when Horowitz repeated almost verbatim the scene of Holmes baffling Watson with his "mind-reading" abilities that was originally in "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" but was reused in "The Adventure of the Resident Patient." It wasn't reusing this scene for a third time that annoyed me most, it was what came after. One of the key parts of this original scenario was Watson and his newly framed picture of General Gordon and his contemplation of framing his portrait of Henry Ward Beecher to make a matching set. Yet in the bizzaro world of Horowitz where things like canon don't matter, the portrait of General Gordon came with the flat! Excuse me? Antony Horowitz broke canon, one that was doubly stated, just so that Holmes could have a throw-away line about how the walls of 221B Baker Street don't actually reflect him because he didn't chose any of the hangings. Where did I put that giant fish...

But canonical issues aside (yeah I agree that sounds unlikely), but seriously, even if we are able to do this, it can't change the fact that Horowitz isn't able to capture the voice of Conan Doyle through Watson. He isn't able to do what a children's author did with a story about mice. Wrap your mind around that if you will. Here Watson is a whiny little bitch. I kid you not. In the canonical books he's all stoic and I'll grab my service revolver and follow you into the gates of hell, while being a little melodramatic about the whole thing, and maybe once or twice staying by the fire to tend to his war wounds. Here it's all whining and whinging and oh his aches and pains. I actually wanted to punch him in the shoulder and be like, "how's your wound now bitch?" Yet it's not just about his overnumerous physical problems that I take umbrage, it's the fact that Watson is so overly loquacious and verbose, leading to the whole book feeling overwritten. If I ever thought that Watson was long winded before, I take it all back. Bring back the real Watson and get rid of this imposter! This upstart who thinks it's cool to mention all his old cases again and again. Guess what? Watson doesn't do that in actuality, he only mentions old cases occasionally, and if he does mention other cases, it's ones we've never read about, he's never so self-referential and meta. Gaw, make it stop. Yet it doesn't stop. The sloppiness with the canon and with Watson even carries over to all aspects of The House of Silk and it's writing. The book's internal chronology doesn't even work! How could Carstairs marry his wife six months before he even met her?

Repeatedly saying to myself "but if Horowitz had just..." isn't going to change anything. It's not going to magically make an editor who happens to be fluent in the canon of Sherlock Holmes appear and fix the book, because there is no way to fix this book. And there's a part of me that thinks a lot of the sloppiness might have been done on purpose. That maybe the muddle was there for a reason. At one point there's a meta aside wherein the characters discuss the tangle the two cases are making and how they seem to be getting more entwined versus less. Yes, this did piss me off, this signalling that Horowitz knew how he was infuriating me. But more importantly it shows that the muddle was on purpose. So, why would an author purposely muddle his book? Because he couldn't be bothered to create a half decent mystery and is throwing as many fish at you of the herring variety so that you won't notice this deficiency. Guess what "Tony." It. Did. Not. Work. Your book is 294 pages. You introduced the character of Ross on page 52, less than ten pages later, on page 61 I had the entire mystery solved. I had to read a further 233 pages of obfuscations and interferences and Watson's whining to have my deduction validated. Seriously, this isn't how you write a mystery. You don't read about a quarter of a book and go, oh, so this, this, and this happened, that's it. A book shouldn't be as easy to solve as a mystery on TV which can usually be deduced by the casting choices. I wanted something, I don't know, that actually made me invested in the book, that made me want to flip to the next page, that wasn't just the desperate need to make it end.

As for the mystery itself... we are supposed to find it shocking. That, after all, is the gimmicky reason that Watson withheld it for one hundred years, despite the fact that Holmes's arrest and various other incidents would have made the papers and would have therefore had to have been included in the original canon but are somehow overlooked. And the saddest thing is that the mystery isn't shocking. The book seems to be nothing more than a reflection of the British press of today. Because this is nothing more than the cover-up of another sexual abuse scandal wherein high ranking government officials are using orphans and street kids to satisfy their disgusting pedophiliac desires. Seriously, google "child sexual abuse UK" and there are over a dozen notable cases of these "rings" uncovered just within the past five or so years! Yes, this is horrifying. Yes this should be shocking, but the sad truth is that with it constantly being on our television screens and in our newspapers we have become desensitized to it but at the same time hyper-aware so that I could solve the mystery of The House of Silk in a matter of minutes. There have been other narratives of similar cases in books, films, and television. Heck, even the Inspector Morse spin-off Endeavour's pilot was about such a sex ring. This is sadly something that happens in the world, and if it's happening now it must have been happening than, so all in all, not much a mystery, just a sad reflection of reality, which most of us could do without when we are reading to escape. Plus, this has added a whole creepy undertone to the Baker Street Irregulars that I could have done without. Though the final thought I am left with is, would this case really have effected Holmes so? Would he have been moved? This Holmes was, the canonical Holmes, that's highly unlikely.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Anthony Horowitz, Arthur Conan Doyle, Baker Street Irregulars, Canon, Endeavour, Foyle's War, Inspector Morse, Julian Ovenden, Midsomer Murders, Mystery, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlocked, The House of Silk, Watson