The Mystery of the Sorrowful Maiden

The Mystery of the Sorrowful Maiden (#1,053) is the third book in Kate Saunders' Laetitia Rodd Mystery series.  The Victorian era Laetitia Rodd is the widow of a clergyman, and much in need of a means to supplement her meagre income.  Fortunately, her brother Fred is one of the most celebrated criminal attorneys in London, and always willing to throw the odd job her way.  

In this case, it's Fred's love of the theater that helps Laetitia mediate a settlement between a famous actor and his estranged wife.  Both of the Transomes trod the boards, along with their three daughters, but the flame has gone from their marriage, and Tom Transome has made clear his interest in a younger, beautiful actress.  When a body is discovered during a theater renovation, old feuds boil to the surface, and the resulting tragedy is more terrible than any stage play...

Kate Saunders covers some dark territory in the theatrical world's transition from rogues, thieves and prostitutes to a respectable calling for actors.  It's an interesting setting for this mystery which I only half-guessed until the final pages.

The Christmas Bookshop

It seems odd to be reading a Christmas book the week leading up to Easter, but it's taken this long for Jenny Colgan's The Christmas Bookshop (#1,052) to arrive at my Holds shelf at the library.  I'd say it was worth the wait.

Carmen Hogan is the unlikely heroine in this charming romance.  Her western Scottish town is gradually shutting down as the industries it relied on for its prosperity have closed, including the department store where Carmen worked.  With absolutely no job prospects, her parents encourage her to move in with her (yet again!) pregnant sister in Edinburgh.  Sofia is the sister who could do no wrong, becoming a successful attorney with a handsome husband, but she's found a temporary job for her sister with one of her clients in return for helping out her live-in nanny.  Carmen reluctantly accepts, and thereby hangs this warm-hearted tale.

Young Mr. McCredie is the sole proprietor of an ancient bookshop in a popular tourist street in Edinburgh, but he's more interested in reading his books than selling them.  Carmen must help him turn a profit before the end of the year so that he can at least sell the business as a going concern.  It isn't going to to be easy...

Likeable and interesting characters, mending family relationships, and finding love are all ingredients of this enjoyable story, along with a dollop of humor and a love letter to the city of Edinburgh itself.  No wonder Jenny Colgan's books are so popular!  If it weren't for all those stairs, I'd be booking myself a flight to Edinburgh tomorrow...

Where the Deer and the Antelope Play

 I know Nick Offerman's non-fiction book of essays earned him great reviews, and I had to wait a long time for Where the Deer and the Antelope Play (#1,051) to show up on my library's Hold list.  It didn't take more than twenty minutes for me to decide that I couldn't read any more than the intro and first chapter, and even that was too much time devoted to this word salad of a book.  

Honestly, if you want to read a great book about spending time in nature, look up Bill Bryson's classic A Walk In The Woods, or Cheryl Strayed's Wild or even Conor Knighton's Leave Only Footprints.

The Violin Conspiracy

The violin at the center of The Violin Conspiracy (#1,050) by Brendan Slocumb is a rare Stradivarius, valued at between $10 and $12 million dollars.  It's been stolen from Rayquan McMillian shortly before he is due to compete in one of the most prestigious music competitions in the world: the quadrennial Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.  It's hard enough to be an American and do well in this international pressure cooker, let alone being Black, and having to make do with a substitute violin.

Moreover, the ownership of the stolen violin is contested.  Ray was given the violin by his beloved Grandmother Nora, whose own grandfather was given it by his slave master.  But the Marks family, the descendants of those slave owners, claim the violin is rightfully theirs.  When Ray's own family finds out the worth of the instrument, they want to sell the violin immediately and split the profits between Grandmother Nora's five children.  Only one member of his family supports Ray's desire to honor his Grandmother and her Grand-Pop's memory by playing that fiddle.

Brendan Slocumb certainly knows this territory well (except for the dysfunctional family, I expect), since he is a black violinist/musician/educator himself and now, a debut novelist.  Anybody can enjoy this book from the thriller aspect, but the more you know about the world of classical music, especially the violin repertoire, the more you'll appreciate Ray's love of playing and the virtuosity involved.  On the other hand, I pretty much figured out who was behind the conspiracy from the get-go.  It didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. I encourage you to judge for yourself!

Being Heumann

 Judith Heumann's memoir co-written with Kristen Joiner is titled Being Heumann - An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist. (#1,049).  She is one of the many disabled activists instrumental in the ultimate passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act.  That life-changing legislation has been in place long enough so that you probably don't even notice it - the curb cuts and ramps to make sidewalks and buildings accessible, the closed-captioning option on your TV, the braille numbers beside the elevator or ATM at your local bank.  All these and more were mandated by the ADA.

To read Judy Heumann's story is to be made aware of the slights and indignities that are part of everyday life for the average disabled person, and to realize that these exclusions from the tasks of everyday living are a violation of their civil rights.  Unsurprisingly, the Trump administration did everything in its power to roll back all the progress made through the ADA with judicial appointments which will affect the future for the disabled community for years to come.

Her story is told matter-of-factly, even humorously, in her memoir.  From being left a quadriplegic due to a childhood bout of polio, to her amazing rise to national and international prominence as an advocate for disability rights is, if you will pardon the pun, an eye-opening read.  I probably wouldn't have come across her amazing story if this memoir hadn't been suggested for my book club.  If your local library doesn't have a copy, buy one!  I did.  You owe it to yourself and to them.

All Her Little Secrets

 I had the pleasure of interviewing Wanda M. Morris recently about her debut thriller novel, All Her Little Secrets (#1,048).  Her main character, Ellice Littlejohn, like Ms. Morris herself, is a Black corporate lawyer working in Atlanta.  I'm pretty sure that's where their resemblance ends.  

Ellice is feeling stuck in both her career and her personal life.  She's thinking about breaking off her relationship with Michael, the handsome WASP General Counsel at the firm where they both work, when she walks into his office for an early morning meeting and finds his body in a blood-spattered office.  Ellice quietly retreats back downstairs to her own office, leaving someone else to find his body.  Much to her surprise, later that same day, she's promoted into Michael's position without any chance to say no.  Everything is not right on the Executive Floor.  Is she just the token Black?  It's obvious not everyone wants her there, but she doesn't want to make waves because she has her own secrets to hide.  Her affair with Michael is just the first...

I found it hard to put this book down.  When Ellice confesses to having a "jiggly midsection" and being teased by boys growing up about her height with the nickname "Mount Ellice", I knew I was going to relate to her character.  Funnily enough, when I brought this up in the interview, Ms. Morris said she wasn't sure anyone would want to read about a tall, Black, middle-aged lawyer with plenty of secrets to hide as she struggles to make it to the top.  I'm glad she pulled that manuscript back out of the drawer after letting it lie fallow for seven years!  I was equally delighted to learn that she has a book coming out in October called Any Where You Run. Count me as a fan!  Highly recommended!