Beyond the Map
Eclectic mix of essays in Beyond the Map is sure to have something for everyone. How unique islands are formed and claimed is described in Part I. Part II is about how some small nations and communities were developed. Part III describes utopias of religion, lifestyle, or technology. Part IVContinue Reading
The Leavenworth Case
Not for modern readers, The Leavenworth Case will made the reader appreciate Sir Arthur Conan Doyle all the more. Bestselling 1878 amateur detective mystery. It sold 750,000 copies in the 15 years after its publishing. Arguably the first full length mystery written by a woman, The Leavenworth Case is narratedContinue Reading
Charity Ends at Home
Fifth in the Flaxborough Mystery series, Charity Ends at Home is another late Golden Age small English village cozy. The village coroner, constable and editor of the local paper each receive an identical unsigned note stating that the writer is fearful of being murdered. The note references a photo ofContinue Reading
The Big Ones
A history of disasters and a prediction of The Big Ones fill Dr. Jones’ book. Containing a wealth of information about the science underlying disasters, The Big Ones is written in an informal and non-technical manner. From Pompeii and Iceland’s volcanos, to California’s 1861 floods, to earthquakes in 1775 Lisbon,Continue Reading
The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York
Fourteen years, deaths, illnesses, corruption and kickbacks! Who knew a history of the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge could be so interesting? It takes a family (and a lot of immigrants) to build the Brooklyn Bridge in The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York. The story beginsContinue Reading
Then She Was Gone
Then She Was Gone is recommended to thriller rather than mystery readers. Mothers especially will relate to this moving family story. Fifteen-year-old Ellie Mack disappears one day. Did she run away or was she kidnapped? Her disappearance tears apart her family. Laurel, Ellie’s mom, has two older children and aContinue Reading
The Family Trade Vol 1
The Float is a city floating on the sea of an alternate version of Earth. It originated with a rebel armada from an England-like land. The Float is ruled by the Clans, who are descendants of the original ships’ officers. The Family, descendants of the original crews, keeps the ClansContinue Reading
After Anna
Maggie and Noah were married and happy as they could be After Anna arrived, chaos occurred as all will agree Range Rovers, sexual allegations Inappropriate pics on vacations Within the court and out, there are two sides to the couple’s tale Hopefully this one won’t end with Noah locked upContinue Reading
Make Manga!
Focusing on composition and coloring, Make Manga! is a great next step for pencil artists. While sketching is almost a sixth of the book, it seems too brief for most beginning manga artists. The inking and especially coloring sections are extremely well done. Most pages explain both what to doContinue Reading
The Sixth Day
A complicated and engaging thriller incorporating modern technology, a real-life unreadably manuscript and Romanian legends. The fifth in the Brit in the FBI series, The Sixth Day brings together a serial killer, drones, computer viruses, falconry and Dracula. Nicholas, Mike and the Covert Eyes team return in the latest BritContinue Reading
Batman Detective Comics Vol 5: A Lonely Place of Living
Batman Detective Comics Vol 5: A Lonely Place of Living (Rebirth) mines the history of the Robins instead of including a straight-out mystery like the other volumes in this series. Be prepared for Red Robin (Tim Drake) from two timelines and universes. The older Red Robin has come back toContinue Reading
The Cutting Edge
Any new Lincoln Rhyme book is a cause for celebration. However, too much information about diamonds makes The Cutting Edge one of the least interesting books in the long-running series. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are chasing a serial killer targeting engaged couples in The Cutting Edge, the 14th bookContinue Reading
Rice Boy
Equal parts Alice in Wonderland and the Lord of the Rings with a pinch of politics and religion plus maybe some leftover LSD from the 60s. Rice Boy is a true quest tale with the survival of the world at its core. The One Electronic, T-O-E for short, is lookingContinue Reading
Scot Free
Cozy mystery Scot Free is my #FrugalFriday short review this week! Marriage counselor Lexy Campbell moves to California to marry and quickly divorce. The husband of her client, Visalia, is murdered by fireworks. Visalia is arrested. Lexy decides to solve the crime since she co-signed Visalia’s bail bond. Born and livingContinue Reading
Lonelyheart 4122
The fourth in the Flaxborough Mystery series is much better than the third. Lonelyheart 4122 is the anonymous number of the enigmatic man who possibly murdered two lonely women and may be working on his third. Inspector Purbright and Sergeant Love are searching for two missing middle-aged ladies. Mrs. BannisterContinue Reading
Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and Their Rendezvous with American History
Meticulously researched biography about the world’s most famous conjoined twins. Chang and Eng were joined by a small tube of skin and shared a liver. Today they would have been separated soon after birth. In the early 1800s, they were purchased from their Chinese/Siamese mother for $500. They were shippedContinue Reading