Westport Public Library BOOK blogtag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//12010-03-18T16:59:44ZMovable Type Publishing Platform 4.01Flashlight Insighttag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.22142010-03-18T16:43:29Z2010-03-18T16:59:44ZTwo and a half days without electricity brought back the joys of “flashlight reading” and Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann was the perfect book. McCann, not a native New Yorker, researched the world of 1974 New York City to create a vivid picture of the drugs and desolation of the Bronx and the excitement of Philipe Petit sashaying his way across the wire between the two World Trade Towers. McCann writes strong characters, each unique. He does not shy away from the gritty details of crime and prostitution or the knotty questions of faith and loyalty. He...MartaChttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/index.html
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann was the perfect book. McCann, not a native New Yorker, researched the world of 1974 New York City to create a vivid picture of the drugs and desolation of the Bronx and the excitement of Philipe Petit sashaying his way across the wire between the two World Trade Towers. McCann writes strong characters, each unique. He does not shy away from the gritty details of crime and prostitution or the knotty questions of faith and loyalty. He captures the interaction of various races and classes of people …and eventually ties it all together, as their connections become clear. Truly, he has written a book to escape into – away from the cold air, the water in the basement, the howling wind, the falling trees, etc.
For comic relief, try Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog by Lisa Scottoline. A collection of columns from the Philadelphia Inquirer, it’s a humorous take on the life of a single, middle-aged, dog-lover (and best-selling author) whose humor is witty and entertaining, but works best in small doses. Scottoline’s voice is clear…you can easily imagine the kind of friend or neighbor she would be. Her family stories are particularly endearing. A good choice to pick up, when you need a little cheering up (on day two or day three without power) but too much of a good thing for a straight read-through.
Television announcer Jim Moret is the son of actor James Darren who was a heartthrob to those of a certain age. Moret's book The Last Day of My Life is an inspirational account of his taking stock and being grateful and includes some details of his life. Much of what he writes seems obvious, yet he has a graceful way of reminding the reader that life is good. If you find this kind of book just too sugary, skip this one. If you like a little positive reinforcement now and then, this is a good browsing choice.
I am slowly working my way through 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: a Work of Fiction by Rebecca Goldstein. (Her husband is cognitive scientist, Steven Pinker.) Amid all the books pitting the atheists against the religious, Goldstein takes a creative path right through the middle by examining the scientific arguments while recognizing the unscientific spiritual components of life. At the center is a celebrity “atheist with soul.” Intellectually engaging, this is one to read slowly with pauses for your own thoughts; it’s a philosophical novel with real moral questions that leave the answers up to you.
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Madam, I’m Adamtag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21972010-03-14T15:47:36Z2010-03-14T19:39:55ZDetective Inspector Adam Dalgliesh made his debut in P.D. James' 1962 novel Cover Her Face.
He has been sent out by Scotland Yard to investigate a death among the gentry at an isolated country estate.
"I've heard of him," one of the suspects says when the tall, dark, and handsome detective arrives at the crime scene. "Ruthless, unorthodox, working always against time. I suppose he has his own private compulsions. At least they've thought us adversaries worthy of the best."
He has since appeared in thirteen more novels, the third of which is Unnatural Causes, written in 1967.Ruthless, unorthodox, sensitive … and a world-class poet to boot! The word "privacy" comes up a lot in anything written about him, as well as numerous comparisons to Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse.
He even has his own fansite.
Join the Usual Suspects next Sunday, the 21st, at 2 pm, when they discuss Unnatural Causes ... and whether or not P. D. James is indeed “the greatest living mystery writer”.
JaneMhttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/mystery/usualsuspects.htmlDetective Inspector Adam Dalgliesh made his debut in P.D. James' 1962 novel Cover Her Face.
He has been sent out by Scotland Yard to investigate a death among the gentry at an isolated country estate.
"I've heard of him," one of the suspects says when the tall, dark, and handsome detective arrives at the crime scene. "Ruthless, unorthodox, working always against time. I suppose he has his own private compulsions. At least they've thought us adversaries worthy of the best."
He has since appeared in thirteen more novels, the third of which is Unnatural Causes, written in 1967.
Dalgliesh had been looking forward to a quiet holiday at his aunt's cottage on Monksmere Head, which is home to a small (and somewhat bizarre) group of writers. When a dinghy with the handless corpse of crime-writer Maurice Seton washes ashore, he becomes a reluctant participant in finding the killer among them.
In a Publishers Weekly interview a while back, James was asked if she was surprised at how Dalgliesh has developed and changed since Cover Her Face.
She replied “I don't think that I've been altogether surprised; after all, I've been writing about him for so many years, and, of course, I've changed, too, and I think it would be natural for a character to change. I think he's become much more sensitive to the great hurt that a murder investigation inflicts on the innocent, as well as the guilty. Here's a man who values his privacy and uses his job to maintain that privacy, but he has a job that not only enables him but requires him to violate the privacy of so many other people--the suspects and everyone else concerned with a crime.”
Dalgliesh is one of the most riveting detectives in a genre chock full of his kind.
Ruthless, unorthodox, sensitive … and a world-class poet to boot! The word "privacy" comes up a lot in anything written about him, as well as numerous comparisons to Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse.
He even has his own fansite.
Join the Usual Suspects next Sunday, the 21st, at 2 pm, when they discuss Unnatural Causes ... and whether or not P. D. James is indeed “the greatest living mystery writer”.
New faces are always welcome. Please join us! To reserve a copy of the book, call 291-4821.
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New Additionstag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21992010-03-10T18:59:29Z2010-03-10T19:37:01ZI’m excited to tell you about the two new additions that we’ve just added to our Speaking of Books collection. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCallum was the winner of the 2009 National Book Award and has captured the praises of many book critics. McCallum was born in Dublin, but resides in NYC, and he has written a beautiful novel about New York during the 1970’s.SusanMhttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/bkclubsvcs.htmlI’m excited to tell you about the two new additions that we’ve just added to our Speaking of Books collection. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCallum was the winner of the 2009 National Book Award and has captured the praises of many book critics. McCallum was born in Dublin, but resides in NYC, and he has written a beautiful novel about New York during the 1970’s. It begins with the amazing walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center by Philippe Petit in 1974. McCallum uses this incredible event as an analogy for all the ordinary people on the ground below who walk their own tightrope every day. McCallum weaves it altogether in this fascinating novel of love and loss. Filled with compelling characters and interesting stories, Mr. McCallum’s unique style of writing brings New York to life during a time of social change and transition. Book clubs that love a good literary novel will enjoy this story of interconnected lives brought together by Petit’s “artistic crime of the century.”
IT'S ALL ABOUT CONNECTINGtag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21942010-03-09T22:00:34Z2010-03-09T22:21:10ZOn March 1st, Mike Harney of Harney & Sons Tea Company presented the final program for WestportREADS 2010. Mike and his assistant provided four different kinds of tea for tasting, while he gave us an overview of tea industry. The WestportREADS connection? Japanese tea. Of course. (On April 7th at noon, Sarah Rose will be at the Library to talk about her book For All the Tea in China. It’s a fascinating history of the global business of tea.) January seemed to be the perfect time for WestportREADS. The Housekeeper and the Professor exceeded all expectations of popularity. Library copies...MartaChttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/index.htmlFor All the Tea in China. It’s a fascinating history of the global business of tea.)
January seemed to be the perfect time for WestportREADS. The Housekeeper and the Professor exceeded all expectations of popularity. Library copies circulated 1325 times. That’s a lot of reading! Book discussions were lively and new connections were made between neighbors who met to talk about the book. Programs were very well-attended and people are still complimenting translator Stephen Snyder for his talk and the Brill family for sharing their experiences with memory loss. Math, baseball,learning Scratch and making memories drew many to the Family Day. Podcasts of all the WestportREADS events.
The partnership between the Library and the Westport schools brought the book and its connection-making effects to younger people in our community. Westport teachers and librarians supported and nurtured this connection. Staples panel discussion of the book.
To the thousands of people whose lives were touched by WestportREADS 2010, thanks for making the connection and for celebrating the power of a book.
WestportREADS was funded by Jerry A. Tishman.
Note: Have an idea for the next WestportREADS? Contact me.
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St. Patrick investigatestag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21882010-03-07T17:40:51Z2010-03-07T19:26:46ZThe medieval mystery novel is here to stay. Medieval mysteries are generally set between between 476-1500. Another cleric has joined the ranks, although he is pushing the envelope on the time definition. In Tony Hays’ The Divine Sacrifice – sequel to The Killing Way (2009) – Saint Patrick (ca. 387-493) joins King Arthur's counselor and series sleuth, Malgwyn ap Cuneglas, to investigate the murder of a monk. Patrick is in England hunting down heretics.
JaneMhttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/mystery/usualsuspects.htmlThe medieval mystery novel is here to stay.
Medieval mysteries are generally set between between 476-1500. One of the earliest series in the genre, the Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael mysteries, featured a 12th century Welsh Benedictine herbalist. There were twenty books in all – beginning with A Morbid Taste for Bones in 1977 – as well as a popular television series.
The books have been out of print in the US for some time, but the Library has begun to acquire an omnibus edition published in the UK. So far there are three of these available.
Other popular medieval clerics are featured in series by Margaret Frazer, Sharan Newman, and Peter Tremayne. Visit the ever-helpful Stop You’re Killing Me website for a complete list of medieval detectives. You can simply search the subject Medieval mysteries in the Library catalog to see what our holdings are.
Another cleric has joined the ranks, although he is pushing the envelope on the time definition. In Tony Hays’ The Divine Sacrifice – sequel to The Killing Way (2009) – Saint Patrick (ca. 387-493) joins King Arthur's counselor and series sleuth, Malgwyn ap Cuneglas, to investigate the murder of a monk. Patrick is in England hunting down heretics.
There is an entire website called simply Medieval Mysteries devoted to the genre. Want to try your hand? Why not enter their “AD 2010” short story competition? Closing date is March 31st.
Need some help with the details? Perhaps The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer can help you. All facets of the everyday lives of serf, merchant, and aristocrat are included. Library Journal warns “Don't let the title fool you into thinking that this isn't serious history” and says it is “Chock-full of surprises … exceptional social history, compellingly told.”
My favorite series set in Ireland takes place in the present day. Erin Hart wrote two mysteries back in 2003 and 2004 featuring an American pathologist named Nora Gavin who works on archaeological digs (for bog bodies!) in Ireland. There is (finally) a third book coming out called False Mermaid. Nora travels home to St. Paul to try to resolve some of the questions she still has about her sister's murder five years earlier and then back to Ireland where the eerie story of a fisherman’s wife who vanished more than a century ago offers up uncanny parallels.
Publishers Weekly says "Woven deftly into Nora's real-world mission are the old Irish selkie stories, tales of seals who shape-change into women, marry for love, and find themselves tragically caught between two worlds, a duality Hart suggests is deeply embedded in humanity. Many readers will find this passionate, complex novel almost impossible to put down."
Nothing like some good old Irish folklore for St. Patrick's Day!
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Hush!tag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21702010-02-28T15:38:15Z2010-02-28T18:31:52ZKate White, the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, is the New York Times bestselling author of the Bailey Weggins mystery series and numerous popular books on success for women.
Hush, her first stand-alone psychological thriller, will debut on March 2nd. Publishers Weekly called it an effective blend of “mommy-lit issues with murder and suspense … that generates a real sense of jeopardy while avoiding clichés.” Romantic Times Reviews called it a "top-notch, nail-biting thriller.”
JaneMhttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/mystery/usualsuspects.htmlKate White, the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, is the New York Times bestselling author of the Bailey Weggins mystery series and numerous popular books on success for women.
Hush, her first stand-alone psychological thriller, will debut on March 2nd.
When Lake Warren learns that her husband, Jack, is suing for full custody of their two kids four months after their separation, she's thinks things can't get any worse. Then, after a one-night stand with a handsome doctor from the Park Avenue Fertility Center, Lake finds him with his throat slashed.
Afraid that her husband will use this against her in their custody battle, Lake lies to the police and begins her own search for the truth. Meanwhile, the police are getting curious, people at the clinic start getting hostile, and she is getting scary late-night phone calls.
Publishers Weekly called it an effective blend of “mommy-lit issues with murder and suspense … that generates a real sense of jeopardy while avoiding clichés.”
Romantic Times Reviews called it a "top-notch, nail-biting thriller.”
Kate reports on her website that the good news is that we will hear from Bailey Weggins again … when Bailey will investigate the mysterious death of a top model whose career is on the wane … but the bad news is that her publisher isn’t bringing it out until a little farther down the road.
Kate says “If you like Bailey, I think you will really enjoy Hush. Lake Warren, the main character, is very different in some ways than Bailey but also very strong and determined when she finds herself in a desperate and dangerous situation. I think HUSH is also a really good whodunit. So far people who’ve read advance copies have told me they didn’t guess the killer. Lastly, it’s more psychological suspense than pure mystery so it’s SCARY.”
Sounds like a riveting read for a cold, dark winter’s evening!
Kate will be joining us for Murder 203, along with Chris Knopf, David Handler, Hallie Ephron and Robin Hathaway, all of whom, like Kate, are writers of popular series who are trying their hand at the stand-alone thriller.
Hope to see you there.
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In case it is not cold enough for you …tag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21582010-02-22T21:46:56Z2010-02-22T14:59:59ZA Night Too Dark is Edgar winner Dana Stabenow’s 17th novel to feature Alaska PI Kate Shugak.
Global Harvest Resources has discovered 42 million ounces of gold at the Suulutaq Mine – smack in the middle of Alaska's Iqaluk Wildlife Refuge – and procured a lease on the land from the state
Dewayne Gammons, an employee of the controversial mine, leaves a suicide note and walks off into the wilderness – a phenomenon known as “death by Alaska” – and when a search party finds bear-eaten human remains, everyone assumes it is the missing miner.
Imagine Kate’s surprise when Gammons staggers into her yard a month later.
As the Kirkus review so cleverly puts it, “The cute Aleut has to reconsider. ” Kate and “Chopper Jim” really have their work cut out for them in this one.
Publishers Weekly has said “This is a richly rewarding regional series that continues to grow in power as it grows in length.”
JaneMhttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/mystery/usualsuspects.htmlHere are two new bone-chilling mysteries.
A Night Too Dark is Edgar winner Dana Stabenow’s 17th novel to feature Alaska PI Kate Shugak.
Global Harvest Resources has discovered 42 million ounces of gold at the Suulutaq Mine – smack in the middle of Alaska's Iqaluk Wildlife Refuge – and procured a lease on the land from the state
Dewayne Gammons, an employee of the controversial mine, leaves a suicide note and walks off into the wilderness – a phenomenon known as “death by Alaska” – and when a search party finds bear-eaten human remains, everyone assumes it is the missing miner.
Imagine Kate’s surprise when Gammons staggers into her yard a month later.
As the Kirkus review so cleverly puts it, “The cute Aleut has to reconsider. First, who was the bear's real meal? Second, why has Gammons' friend Lydia, another mine employee, also turned up dead?”
And third … how are the two fatalities connected to Trooper Jim Chopin's ongoing case, rumors of industrial espionage, counter-espionage, and counter-counter-espionage (!) at the mine … and a hostile environmental activist organization which suddenly embraces the Mine as their reason for being?
Very mysterious, indeed. Kate and “Chopper Jim” really have their work cut out for them in this one.
Publishers Weekly has said “This is a richly rewarding regional series that continues to grow in power as it grows in length.”
British author Mo Hayder’s Skin also deals with an apparent suicide, and PW called it a “chilling thriller.”
The story begins just a few days after the grisly climax of Ritual, the previous Jack Caffery novel. The London police detective investigates the suicide of a young man showing signs of mutilation similar to the victims of muti, the African black magic that figured in the earlier book.
Two more alleged “suicides” with violated corpses turn up in the same neighborhood and Caffery begins to suspect something sinister – perhaps even supernatural – is at work.
Ritual was nominated for The CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger award.
“Complex suspense with graphic material,” Library Journal recommends Hayder to fans of Karin Slaughter and John Connolly.
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Marta's Reading Insighttag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21522010-02-18T20:29:13Z2010-02-18T20:54:10ZMore opinions about recently read books. SECRETS OF EDEN: A NOVEL by Chris Bohjalian attracted my attention because the story revolves around a small-town Vermont minister. The idiosyncrasies of living “close-up” with neighbors and “frenemies” whose young pastor’s single life style and aloof manner cause discomfort are well-captured by the author. However, this book is really a murder mystery- the victims a long-time abusive husband and his battered wife. The details of spousal abuse are balanced with mother – daughter tenderness , women’s friendships and the single guy’s (the minister’s) love life. A secondary story of an enduring belief in...MartaChttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/index.html
SECRETS OF EDEN: A NOVEL by Chris Bohjalian attracted my attention because the story revolves around a small-town Vermont minister. The idiosyncrasies of living “close-up” with neighbors and “frenemies” whose young pastor’s single life style and aloof manner cause discomfort are well-captured by the author. However, this book is really a murder mystery- the victims a long-time abusive husband and his battered wife. The details of spousal abuse are balanced with mother – daughter tenderness , women’s friendships and the single guy’s (the minister’s) love life. A secondary story of an enduring belief in angels adds another layer to the look at long term effects of spousal abuse. The identity of the murderer is not difficult to guess, but that does not detract from the story. This was a fast and enjoyable read. Bohjalian is adept at taking an issue of current interest and building a novel around it. Other authors with similar fiction are Jodi Picoult, Anita Shreve , Barbara Delinsky & Elizabeth Berg.
BLACK ELVIS: STORIES by Geoffrey Becker piqued my curiosity because Becker is coming to the Library on May 17 to talk about his novel Hot Springs. A professor at Towson State in Maryland, Becker was awarded the Flannery O’Connor Award for this collection of stories. Each is inhabited by people who seem unsure of the next step and what that step might mean on their life journeys. Most are musicians. Many are academics meandering through their lives outside of the ivory towers. I like his writing which places you right into the story where you gradually realize the discrepancies between the inner and outer lives of the characters. There’s an imperturbable aspect to the (mostly) men he depicts – as if they know they are con men, but it really doesn’t matter…the consequences are left to the reader's imagination. In one story, a recently deceased author finds that the afterlife consists of an endless book tour where he is the stand-in for the author who was expected…leaving him with both a sense of being appreciated and of being a fraud.
A GOOD TALK: THE STORY AND SKILL OF CONVERSATION by Daniel Menaker examines social conversation…its origins, its uses and its pitfalls. Humor is his style; anecdotes are his content-all presented with a slightly sarcastic tone. Reading this is like sitting down for a cup of coffee with a witty friend. Literary factoids and good advice lurk amidst all the clever writing. A good book to browse.
Are you “math-impaired?” Take a look at SECRETS OF MENTAL MATH: THE MATHEMATICIAN’S GUIDE TO LIGHTNING CALCULATIONS AND AMAZING MATH TRICKS by Arthur Benjamin & Michael Shermer. It’s full of tricks for rapid – and correct- calculations. You won’t believe it, till you try it!
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A Whisper to the Livingtag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21462010-02-14T19:29:50Z2010-02-14T21:16:01ZAuthor Stuart Kaminsky died on October 9, 2009. His first novel was Bullet for a Star in 1977, which featured Hollywood PI-to-the-stars Toby Peters. Kaminsky was also the author of the Abe Lieberman, Lew Fonesca, and Porfiry Rostnikov series.
It was for a Rostnikov title, Cold Red Sunrise, that Kaminsky won a Best Novel Edgar in 1989.
The recently released seventeenth Rostnikov mystery, A Whisper to the Living, finds the distinctly idiosyncratic detective searching for a serial killer who has claimed at least forty victims, while also protecting a British journalist who is researching a story about a Moscow prostitution ring.
As the Kirkus review points out, “The Soviet Union's crooks are gone, but for Chief Inspector Rostnikov & Co. the felonies linger on.”
JaneMhttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/mystery/usualsuspects.htmlAuthor Stuart Kaminsky died on October 9, 2009. His first novel was Bullet for a Star in 1977, which featured Hollywood PI-to-the-stars Toby Peters.
A Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, Kaminsky wrote more than fifty novels, and he inspired many other mystery writers, including fellow Chicagoan Sara Paretsky, who dedicated her first V. I. Warshawski mystery to him.
Kaminsky was also the author of the Abe Lieberman, Lew Fonesca, and Porfiry Rostnikov series.
It was for a Rostnikov title, Cold Red Sunrise, that Kaminsky won a Best Novel Edgar in 1989.
The recently released seventeenth Rostnikov mystery, A Whisper to the Living, finds the distinctly idiosyncratic detective searching for a serial killer who has claimed at least forty victims, while also protecting a British journalist who is researching a story about a Moscow prostitution ring.
As the Kirkus review points out, “The Soviet Union's crooks are gone, but for Chief Inspector Rostnikov & Co. the felonies linger on.”
Another fictitious Russian cop trying to maintain his honesty in a corrupt society is Martin Cruz Smith’s Arkady Renko, who also made his debut in 1981 in Gorky Park.
Originally planned as a trilogy, the Renko series has grown in numbers, and the seventh entry, The Golden Mile, is due in March.
Struggling with a prosecutor's refusal to send work his way and his friend Victor's arrest for public drunkenness, Renko finds his efforts to watch out for a teen chess prodigy challenged by a brutal case involving a kidnapped baby, a dead prostitute and police corruption.
Smith is a two-time winner of the Hammett Prize from the International Association of Crime Writers and a recipient of Britain's Golden Dagger Award.
The Usual Suspects will be discussing Gorky Park next Sunday at 2 pm. New faces are always welcome. Please join us! To reserve a copy of the book, call 291-4821.
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The Helptag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21432010-02-11T15:54:04Z2010-02-11T18:35:31ZIn the last six months the book that I have been asked to order most frequently for book clubs has been The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It seems almost everyone wants to read this book. It was released just a year ago and almost immediately the buzz started. Kathryn Stockett is a first time novelist, and her manuscript for this book had been rejected 50 times before it was published! Thankfully she persisted, and the result has been one of those memorable books that book clubs have embraced.
SusanMhttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/bkclubsvcs.htmlIn the last six months the book that I have been asked to order most frequently for book clubs has been The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It seems almost everyone wants to read this book. It was released just a year ago and almost immediately the buzz started. Kathryn Stockett is a first time novelist, and her manuscript for this book had been rejected 50 times before it was published! Thankfully she persisted, and the result has been one of those memorable books that book clubs have embraced.
The Help is the story of several black women in the south and the white women they worked for. It is set in Mississippi in 1962, a time of social turmoil and change. Kathryn Stockett grew up in Jackson, Mississippi and is quite familiar with life in the south. Her story focuses on the point of view of the women and not on the political detail of what was going on. One of the white women, Skeeter, has decided to write a book to tell the story of these African-American caretakers. Although it was extremely risky to tell their tales, these women bravely felt it was time to share the true feelings about their lives. Her characters are both complex and admirable and you will be quickly drawn into the stories they tell. This is a page turner, and I have to admit, I found it hard to put down.
Although Ms. Stockett has been criticized for writing in the voices of the black women and for her use of dialect (listen to this interview on NPR with the author); The Help was most definitely the popular choice of many as the best book of 2009, and is currently number one on the best seller list. Because of this popularity I have had to tell all of the book clubs that asked for it that as much as I would love for their book club to read it and discuss it together, it would be impossible to borrow enough copies for them. We have ordered The Help for our Speaking of Books collection in the paperback format, but the publisher keeps pushing back the release date, obviously due to the hard cover’s success. In trying to keep up with the requests of our patrons at the library, we now have over 45 copies of The Help in circulation, and I’m hoping that as the wait list abates, we should be able to start using those copies for book clubs.
So let me know if you would like to add The Help to your book club list. I’ve started a list of those book clubs that would like to read it and we’ll do our best to fit it into your schedule. I think that you’ll agree that it was worth waiting for.
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Life in the fast lanetag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21282010-02-08T20:26:58Z2010-02-07T19:25:36ZThe Mystery Writers of America announced the nominees for the 2010 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. The Awards will be presented to the winners at the Gala Banquet, April 29, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City. You can view the entire list of titles in all nine categories on the MWA website.
The six nominees in the Best Novel category are: The Missing by Tim Gautreaux; The Odds by Kathleen George; The Last Child by John Hart; The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston; Nemesis by Jo Nesbo; A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn. The nominees for this year’s Mary Higgins Clark Award were also announced and the list includesNever Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron, who will be joining us for Murder 203 in April.
Never Tell a Lie has been described as a “supremely suspenseful and consistently surprising story of a yard sale gone terribly wrong” and the Boston Globe raved "Suburban noir has rarely been done with such psychological insight or plot-twisting suspense."
JaneMhttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/mystery/usualsuspects.htmlThe Mystery Writers of America announced the nominees for the 2010 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. The Awards will be presented to the winners at the Gala Banquet, April 29, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.
You can view the entire list of titles in all nine categories on the MWA website.
The six nominees in the Best Novel category are: The Missing by Tim Gautreaux; The Odds by Kathleen George; The Last Child by John Hart; The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston; Nemesis by Jo Nesbo; A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn.
The nominees for this year’s Mary Higgins Clark Award were also announced and the list includesNever Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron, who will be joining us for Murder 203 in April.
Never Tell a Lie has been described as a “supremely suspenseful and consistently surprising story of a yard sale gone terribly wrong” and the Boston Globe raved "Suburban noir has rarely been done with such psychological insight or plot-twisting suspense."
We will have several mystery award nominees and winners with us in April. Check our website for a complete list of attending authors.
Hank Phillippi Ryan, who won the Agatha Award for Best First Novel for her first Charlotte McNally title, Prime Time, has been getting rave reviews for the latest (fourth) title in the series, Drive Time. Library Journal said “Her book catapults the reader into the fast lane and doesn’t stop until the story careens to a stop.” Sounds like another winner for Hank.
Fellow Agatha winner Robin Hathaway, author of the Jo Banks and Andrew Fenimore series will also be joining us, as will Jonathan Santlofer, winner of the Nero Award for Anatomy of Fear, the first title in his Nate Rodriguez series.
Nate Rodriguez is a NYPD police sketch artist who appears to have psychic abilities when it comes to visualizing perpetrators. When Nate sketches, the drawings, done by the author -- who is a highly respected artist -- are reproduced in the text.
David Handler won an Edgar nomination and an Edgar Award for two titles in his Stewart Hoag series. He also writes the Berger & Mitry series, which is set in Connecticut.
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Sudoku showdowntag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21232010-02-01T15:55:19Z2010-02-01T16:24:50ZJoin us for our first mystery program of the new year. Author Parnell Hall will be discussing his newest entertaining and fun-filled mystery, The Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku Lady, on Thursday evening, February 4, at 7:30 pm in the McManus Room ... the perfect warm-up for the Library’s eleventh annual Crossword Puzzle Contest on February 6. Nominated for the Edgar, Shamus, and Lefty awards, Hall is an actor, screenwriter, and former private investigator, as well as the author of two popular mystery series. Fans of his Stanley Hastings (New York City actor and private investigator) series will be pleased to hear that there will be a new Hastings mystery, Caper, coming out this July.
JaneMhttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/mystery/usualsuspects.htmlJoin us for our first mystery program of the new year. Author Parnell Hall will be discussing his newest entertaining and fun-filled mystery, The Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku Lady, on Thursday evening, February 4, at 7:30 pm in the McManus Room ... the perfect warm-up for the Library’s eleventh annual Crossword Puzzle Contest on February 6.
It’s the battle of the century when Minami, the Sudoku Lady, shows up in Bakerhaven, Connecticut, to meet Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady, whose sudoku books have just edged Minami’s off of the Japanese bestseller list. Before the rivals have a chance to square off, a killer strikes, and a sudoku puzzle is found at the scene of the murder. Now it’s a fight to the finish to see who can unmask the killer.
Nominated for the Edgar, Shamus, and Lefty awards, Hall is an actor, screenwriter, and former private investigator, as well as the author of two popular mystery series.
Fans of his Stanley Hastings (New York City actor and private investigator) series will be pleased to hear that there will be a new Hastings mystery, Caper, coming out this July.
Some of you may have experienced Hall’s remarkable wit and humor at last year’s Murder 203.
He will be the Guest of Honor at this year’s Malice Domestic conference, April 30-May 2, in Arlington Virginia.
If you are looking for a bit of levity to get you through your day, take a few minutes to watch Hall’s brilliant YouTube videoKill 'em : A Simple Guide to the Art of Writing Murder Mysteries.
The Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku Lady will be available for purchase and signing.
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"What if...?"tag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21222010-01-31T18:35:53Z2010-01-31T18:47:26ZGuest blogger Frank Corbo gives a mathematician's reaction to The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. Mr. Corbo is the K-12 Mathematics Coordinator for the Westport Public Schools. ********************************************************************************** As a mathematician, I think that three themes emerge from my reading of this extraordinary little book. *There has always been tension among mathematicians concerning the nature of mathematics itself. Is mathematics a function of the human condition, or does it transcend the human condition? Is mathematics a human invention or do we humans merely discover that which was always there? On page 23, the professor says: "There were numbers...MartaChttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/index.html
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. Mr. Corbo is the K-12 Mathematics Coordinator for the Westport Public Schools.
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As a mathematician, I think that three themes emerge from my reading of this extraordinary little book.
*There has always been tension among mathematicians concerning the nature of mathematics itself. Is mathematics a function of the human condition, or does it transcend the human condition? Is mathematics a human invention or do we humans merely discover that which was always there?
On page 23, the professor says: "There were numbers before human beings - before the world itself was formed."
On page 24, the housekeeper says: "Is that so? I always thought that human beings invented numbers."
On page 43, the professor says: "Yes, that's right. I uncovered propositions that existed out there long before we were born."
Then, surprisingly, on page 140 the professor reverses himself when he says: "So you think that zero was there waiting for us when humans came into being, like the flowers and the stars? You should have more respect for human progress. We made the zero through great pain and struggle."
So, we're left with the same question - invented or discovered.
*Another issue has to do with how mathematics is valued. Is mathematics important to the extent that it can be used as a tool to solve scientific and technological problems? Is its worth defined by its applicability? Or, can it stand alone, and be appreciated for the serenity and beauty of the patterns and truths it reveals to those who study it?
On page 52, the housekeeper says: "I'm not sure why I became so absorbed in a child's math problem with no practical value."
On page 114, the housekeeper says: "I remembered something the professor had said: 'The mathematical order is beautiful precisely because it has no effect on the real world.'"
At one point in the story, the professor abruptly and definitively ends the argument about the dismissal of the housekeeper by writing Euler's formula, E^(i*pi) +1=0, on a scrap of paper. His sister-in-law immediately capitulates and the housekeeper is allowed to stay. "No one spoke. The widow's fingernails had ceased their tapping. Her eyes, so full of suspicion and disdain a moment earlier, now looked at me with a calm, understanding gaze, and I could tell then that she knew the beauty of math."
So is Math merely a tool to be applied by the other disciplines? Or was the 19th century mathematician H.J.S. Smith correct when in his presidential address to the British Mathematical Society he proposed the toast, “Here’s to mathematics—may she never be of use to anybody.”
*Since I am a teacher of mathematics as well as a mathematician, I was interested in what the author believed about math education. The professor has some good advice for teachers.
On page 129, the housekeeper says: "He was always delighted when Root asked a question, no matter what the subject; and he seemed convinced that children's questions were much more important than those of an adult. He preferred smart questions to smart answers."
On page 49 the professor says: "A problem isn't finished just because you've found the right answer."
In fact, that's when the "What if... ?" questions should begin.
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Marta's Reading Insighttag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21152010-01-28T18:23:08Z2010-01-28T20:04:01ZA few of the books I have read recently…and my opinions about them. DEFY GRAVITY: HEALING BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF REASON by Caroline Myss I think of myself as a veteran of the New Age heyday and so, probably have a greater tolerance for this type of book than others do. I have followed Myss’ books since the first one, Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can, after I heard about her at a seminar This book is repetitious and it bothers me when a self-help author talks about her previous erroneous beliefs. On the other hand, Myss always...MartaChttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/index.html
DEFY GRAVITY: HEALING BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF REASON by Caroline Myss
I think of myself as a veteran of the New Age heyday and so, probably have a greater tolerance for this type of book than others do. I have followed Myss’ books since the first one, Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can, after I heard about her at a seminar This book is repetitious and it bothers me when a self-help author talks about her previous erroneous beliefs. On the other hand, Myss always includes some interesting ideas for coping with life. In this case, I appreciated her explanation of how the habit of feeling self-entitlement can interfere with your relationships and your peace.
CHEAP: THE HIGH COST OF DISCOUNT CULTURE by Ellen Ruppel Shell
Shell traced the global effects of the focus on getting a bargain and detailed the facts that seem obvious to those who care. This presents the developing history of our obsession with low prices and what that obsession really costs. I was hoping for a little more about the psychology of the obsession…but, not in this book.
PRICELESS: THE MYTH OF FAIR VALUE (AND HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT) by William Poundstone
Here I did find the discussion of people and prices and how they interact. It’s called behavioral economics. Poundstone shows how people are influenced in their beliefs about whether or not they are getting a bargain. Did you know that “price consultants” and “negotiation coaches” assist retailers in getting the most of our spending dollars for the least value?
BLAME by Michelle Huneven
Huneven writes fiction that carries you along and, in this case, even the ending was satisfying. I think writing the ending to a novel must be one of the most challenging tasks for an author. So often, a good read fizzles out at the end. Blame is about an alcoholic who has an accident in which two people are killed. She goes to jail- an experience described in uncomfortable detail- is released and rebuilds her life. A surprise lurks near the end of the story. Lots of food for thought here. I also enjoyed Huneven’s Jamesland, a novel full of scenes that years later linger in my memory.
GATE AT THE STAIRS by Lorrie Moore
Well, from the first sentence, I was marveling at her writing (think Updike.) Then, I got caught up in the story which weaves the threads of coming-of-age, family dysfunction, post 9/11, multi-racial interaction, guilt…and somewhere about half way through, I found myself thinking that more editing would have helped. Still, a good read.
NOAH’S COMPASS by Anne Tyler
Typical Tyler and I like typical Tyler. About a sixty-something man whose inner and outer lives are not necessarily in sync, this is another quirky, Baltimore story and an entertaining, fast read.
DISSONANCE by Lisa Lenard-Cook
I was drawn to this one by the cover art- an old-fashioned piano stool and piano keyboard. Lenard-Cook fits together the contemporary story of a piano teacher living with her scientist husband in New Mexico with the story of a musician who survived the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Family dynamics are an important part of the novel. Intermittent paragraphs about music as metaphor enhanced the book for me, but would probably discourage some readers.
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Victoria’s secretstag:www.westportlibrary.org,2010:/bookblog//1.21072010-01-24T17:43:50Z2010-01-24T19:45:32ZBetween the recently released Sherlock Holmes movie and the new film, The Young Victoria, everything Victorian is suddenly in demand. A Foreign Affair, the first book in a Victorian mystery series by Caro Peacock, begins in England at the moment of Victoria's ascent to the throne. Receiving word that her father has been killed in a duel in 1838 England, Liberty Lane, who knows her father would never have taken a part in such an act, sets out to catch his killer and takes on a government assignment to pose as a governess and move in with an influential and sinister family.
In the follow-up, A Dangerous Affair, Liberty’s attempt to settle down to a quiet life is thwarted by a public rivalry between two beautiful dancers that culminates in a poisoning murder of one and a death sentence for the other.
Publishers Weekly says “Peacock skillfully interweaves figures of real Victorian London, while avoiding the genre's typical focus on aristocracy.”JaneMhttp://www.westportlibrary.org/newrecommend/mystery/usualsuspects.htmlBetween the recently released Sherlock Holmes movie and the new film, The Young Victoria, everything Victorian is suddenly in demand. A Foreign Affair, the first book in a Victorian mystery series by Caro Peacock, begins in England at the moment of Victoria's ascent to the throne. Receiving word that her father has been killed in a duel in 1838 England, Liberty Lane, who knows her father would never have taken a part in such an act, sets out to catch his killer and takes on a government assignment to pose as a governess and move in with an influential and sinister family.
In the follow-up, A Dangerous Affair, Liberty’s attempt to settle down to a quiet life is thwarted by a public rivalry between two beautiful dancers that culminates in a poisoning murder of one and a death sentence for the other.
Publishers Weekly says “Peacock skillfully interweaves figures of real Victorian London, while avoiding the genre's typical focus on aristocracy.”
Library Journal recommends the series for readers who love historical mysteries similar to Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series.
The series will continue in 2010 with A Family Affair.
Peacock previously penned the Nell Bray mysteries under the name Gillian Linscott.
For a Victorian mystery actually written during the period (1862), try Lady Audley’s Secret by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Bradden. The story follows Robert Audley as he tries to find out what happened to his friend George Talboys, and just who his uncle's wife, Lucy Audley, really is.
This book established Bradden as the main rival of Wilkie Collins. A protest against the passive, insipid 19th-century heroine, Lady Audley was described by one critic of the time as "high-strung, full of passion, purpose, and movement.”
A Library catalog search of the subject Victorian mysteries will yield over 200 titles, and you can sort these out in author order to make a fine bibliography of some of the best Victorian mysteries by contemporary writers, including Anne Perry (her Monk and Pitt series), Edward Marston (his Richard Colbeck series), Peter Lovesey (his Cribb and Bertie series), and Sally Spencer (her Blackstone series, written as Alan Rustage).
If you like your mysteries on the cozy side, you will be happy to know that Susan Albert Wittig, writing as Robin Paige, has a late Victorian era series featuring Kathryn Ardleigh, an American writer of the frowned upon "penny-dreadfuls," and Sir Charles Sheridan, gentleman detective.
Victoria Sponge Cake, anyone?
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Detective Inspector Adam Dalgliesh made his debut in P.D. James' 1962 novel Cover Her Face.
He has been sent out by Scotland Yard to investigate a death among the gentry at an isolated country estate.
"I've heard of him," one of the suspects says when the tall, dark, and handsome detective arrives at the crime scene. "Ruthless, unorthodox, working always against time. I suppose he has his own private compulsions. At least they've thought us adversaries worthy of the best."
He has since appeared in thirteen more novels, the third of which is Unnatural Causes, written in 1967.
Dalgliesh had been looking forward to a quiet holiday at his aunt's cottage on Monksmere Head, which is home to a small (and somewhat bizarre) group of writers. When a dinghy with the handless corpse of crime-writer Maurice Seton washes ashore, he becomes a reluctant participant in finding the killer among them.
In a Publishers Weekly interview a while back, James was asked if she was surprised at how Dalgliesh has developed and changed since Cover Her Face.
She replied “I don't think that I've been altogether surprised; after all, I've been writing about him for so many years, and, of course, I've changed, too, and I think it would be natural for a character to change. I think he's become much more sensitive to the great hurt that a murder investigation inflicts on the innocent, as well as the guilty. Here's a man who values his privacy and uses his job to maintain that privacy, but he has a job that not only enables him but requires him to violate the privacy of so many other people--the suspects and everyone else concerned with a crime.”
Dalgliesh is one of the most riveting detectives in a genre chock full of his kind.
Ruthless, unorthodox, sensitive … and a world-class poet to boot! The word "privacy" comes up a lot in anything written about him, as well as numerous comparisons to Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse.
He even has his own fansite.
Join the Usual Suspects next Sunday, the 21st, at 2 pm, when they discuss Unnatural Causes ... and whether or not P. D. James is indeed “the greatest living mystery writer”.
New faces are always welcome. Please join us! To reserve a copy of the book, call 291-4821.
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I’m excited to tell you about the two new additions that we’ve just added to our Speaking of Books collection. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCallum was the winner of the 2009 National Book Award and has captured the praises of many book critics. McCallum was born in Dublin, but resides in NYC, and he has written a beautiful novel about New York during the 1970’s. It begins with the amazing walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center by Philippe Petit in 1974. McCallum uses this incredible event as an analogy for all the ordinary people on the ground below who walk their own tightrope every day. McCallum weaves it altogether in this fascinating novel of love and loss. Filled with compelling characters and interesting stories, Mr. McCallum’s unique style of writing brings New York to life during a time of social change and transition. Book clubs that love a good literary novel will enjoy this story of interconnected lives brought together by Petit’s “artistic crime of the century.”
The medieval mystery novel is here to stay.
Medieval mysteries are generally set between between 476-1500. One of the earliest series in the genre, the Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael mysteries, featured a 12th century Welsh Benedictine herbalist. There were twenty books in all – beginning with A Morbid Taste for Bones in 1977 – as well as a popular television series.
The books have been out of print in the US for some time, but the Library has begun to acquire an omnibus edition published in the UK. So far there are three of these available.
Other popular medieval clerics are featured in series by Margaret Frazer, Sharan Newman, and Peter Tremayne. Visit the ever-helpful Stop You’re Killing Me website for a complete list of medieval detectives. You can simply search the subject Medieval mysteries in the Library catalog to see what our holdings are.
Kate White, the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, is the New York Times bestselling author of the Bailey Weggins mystery series and numerous popular books on success for women.
Hush, her first stand-alone psychological thriller, will debut on March 2nd.
When Lake Warren learns that her husband, Jack, is suing for full custody of their two kids four months after their separation, she's thinks things can't get any worse. Then, after a one-night stand with a handsome doctor from the Park Avenue Fertility Center, Lake finds him with his throat slashed.
Afraid that her husband will use this against her in their custody battle, Lake lies to the police and begins her own search for the truth. Meanwhile, the police are getting curious, people at the clinic start getting hostile, and she is getting scary late-night phone calls.
Publishers Weekly called it an effective blend of “mommy-lit issues with murder and suspense … that generates a real sense of jeopardy while avoiding clichés.”
Romantic Times Reviews called it a "top-notch, nail-biting thriller.”
Kate reports on her website that the good news is that we will hear from Bailey Weggins again … when Bailey will investigate the mysterious death of a top model whose career is on the wane … but the bad news is that her publisher isn’t bringing it out until a little farther down the road.
Kate says “If you like Bailey, I think you will really enjoy Hush. Lake Warren, the main character, is very different in some ways than Bailey but also very strong and determined when she finds herself in a desperate and dangerous situation. I think HUSH is also a really good whodunit. So far people who’ve read advance copies have told me they didn’t guess the killer. Lastly, it’s more psychological suspense than pure mystery so it’s SCARY.”
Sounds like a riveting read for a cold, dark winter’s evening!
Kate will be joining us for Murder 203, along with Chris Knopf, David Handler, Hallie Ephron and Robin Hathaway, all of whom, like Kate, are writers of popular series who are trying their hand at the stand-alone thriller.
Hope to see you there.
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Here are two new bone-chilling mysteries.
A Night Too Dark is Edgar winner Dana Stabenow’s 17th novel to feature Alaska PI Kate Shugak.
Global Harvest Resources has discovered 42 million ounces of gold at the Suulutaq Mine – smack in the middle of Alaska's Iqaluk Wildlife Refuge – and procured a lease on the land from the state
Dewayne Gammons, an employee of the controversial mine, leaves a suicide note and walks off into the wilderness – a phenomenon known as “death by Alaska” – and when a search party finds bear-eaten human remains, everyone assumes it is the missing miner.
Imagine Kate’s surprise when Gammons staggers into her yard a month later.
As the Kirkus review so cleverly puts it, “The cute Aleut has to reconsider. First, who was the bear's real meal? Second, why has Gammons' friend Lydia, another mine employee, also turned up dead?”
And third … how are the two fatalities connected to Trooper Jim Chopin's ongoing case, rumors of industrial espionage, counter-espionage, and counter-counter-espionage (!) at the mine … and a hostile environmental activist organization which suddenly embraces the Mine as their reason for being?
Very mysterious, indeed. Kate and “Chopper Jim” really have their work cut out for them in this one.
Publishers Weekly has said “This is a richly rewarding regional series that continues to grow in power as it grows in length.”
Author Stuart Kaminsky died on October 9, 2009. His first novel was Bullet for a Star in 1977, which featured Hollywood PI-to-the-stars Toby Peters.
A Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, Kaminsky wrote more than fifty novels, and he inspired many other mystery writers, including fellow Chicagoan Sara Paretsky, who dedicated her first V. I. Warshawski mystery to him.
Kaminsky was also the author of the Abe Lieberman, Lew Fonesca, and Porfiry Rostnikov series.
It was for a Rostnikov title, Cold Red Sunrise, that Kaminsky won a Best Novel Edgar in 1989.
The recently released seventeenth Rostnikov mystery, A Whisper to the Living, finds the distinctly idiosyncratic detective searching for a serial killer who has claimed at least forty victims, while also protecting a British journalist who is researching a story about a Moscow prostitution ring.
As the Kirkus review points out, “The Soviet Union's crooks are gone, but for Chief Inspector Rostnikov & Co. the felonies linger on.”
In the last six months the book that I have been asked to order most frequently for book clubs has been The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It seems almost everyone wants to read this book. It was released just a year ago and almost immediately the buzz started. Kathryn Stockett is a first time novelist, and her manuscript for this book had been rejected 50 times before it was published! Thankfully she persisted, and the result has been one of those memorable books that book clubs have embraced.
The Help is the story of several black women in the south and the white women they worked for. It is set in Mississippi in 1962, a time of social turmoil and change. Kathryn Stockett grew up in Jackson, Mississippi and is quite familiar with life in the south. Her story focuses on the point of view of the women and not on the political detail of what was going on. One of the white women, Skeeter, has decided to write a book to tell the story of these African-American caretakers. Although it was extremely risky to tell their tales, these women bravely felt it was time to share the true feelings about their lives. Her characters are both complex and admirable and you will be quickly drawn into the stories they tell. This is a page turner, and I have to admit, I found it hard to put down.
Although Ms. Stockett has been criticized for writing in the voices of the black women and for her use of dialect (listen to this interview on NPR with the author); The Help was most definitely the popular choice of many as the best book of 2009, and is currently number one on the best seller list. Because of this popularity I have had to tell all of the book clubs that asked for it that as much as I would love for their book club to read it and discuss it together, it would be impossible to borrow enough copies for them. We have ordered The Help for our Speaking of Books collection in the paperback format, but the publisher keeps pushing back the release date, obviously due to the hard cover’s success. In trying to keep up with the requests of our patrons at the library, we now have over 45 copies of The Help in circulation, and I’m hoping that as the wait list abates, we should be able to start using those copies for book clubs.
So let me know if you would like to add The Help to your book club list. I’ve started a list of those book clubs that would like to read it and we’ll do our best to fit it into your schedule. I think that you’ll agree that it was worth waiting for.
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The Mystery Writers of America announced the nominees for the 2010 Edgar Allan Poe Awards. The Awards will be presented to the winners at the Gala Banquet, April 29, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York City.
You can view the entire list of titles in all nine categories on the MWA website.
The six nominees in the Best Novel category are: The Missing by Tim Gautreaux; The Odds by Kathleen George; The Last Child by John Hart; The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston; Nemesis by Jo Nesbo; A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn.
Join us for our first mystery program of the new year. Author Parnell Hall will be discussing his newest entertaining and fun-filled mystery, The Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku Lady, on Thursday evening, February 4, at 7:30 pm in the McManus Room ... the perfect warm-up for the Library’s eleventh annual Crossword Puzzle Contest on February 6.
It’s the battle of the century when Minami, the Sudoku Lady, shows up in Bakerhaven, Connecticut, to meet Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady, whose sudoku books have just edged Minami’s off of the Japanese bestseller list. Before the rivals have a chance to square off, a killer strikes, and a sudoku puzzle is found at the scene of the murder. Now it’s a fight to the finish to see who can unmask the killer.
Nominated for the Edgar, Shamus, and Lefty awards, Hall is an actor, screenwriter, and former private investigator, as well as the author of two popular mystery series.
Between the recently released Sherlock Holmes movie and the new film, The Young Victoria, everything Victorian is suddenly in demand. A Foreign Affair, the first book in a Victorian mystery series by Caro Peacock, begins in England at the moment of Victoria's ascent to the throne. Receiving word that her father has been killed in a duel in 1838 England, Liberty Lane, who knows her father would never have taken a part in such an act, sets out to catch his killer and takes on a government assignment to pose as a governess and move in with an influential and sinister family.
In the follow-up, A Dangerous Affair, Liberty’s attempt to settle down to a quiet life is thwarted by a public rivalry between two beautiful dancers that culminates in a poisoning murder of one and a death sentence for the other.
Publishers Weekly says “Peacock skillfully interweaves figures of real Victorian London, while avoiding the genre's typical focus on aristocracy.”
Library Journal recommends the series for readers who love historical mysteries similar to Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series.
The series will continue in 2010 with A Family Affair.
Peacock previously penned the Nell Bray mysteries under the name Gillian Linscott.
