SUSANNE ALLEYN – A Treasury of Regrets. St.Martin’s Press, hardcover, April 2007.

Genre:   Historical mystery. Leading character:  Aristide Ravel; 4th in series; 2nd published (see below). Setting:   France, 1797.

First Sentence:  Since the twenty-fourth of Frimaire, Aristide Ravel had dreamed at least a dozen times of the guillotine.

   It begins with the poisoning death of Martin Dupont, the controlling head of a large household. A servant girl, Jeannette Moineau, is arrested. A member of the house, Laurence, asks the police for help as she does not believe the girl is guilty.

   Police investigator Aristide Ravel agrees to work with her, also discovering there is another link between them from the past. As others die, Ravel continues to search for motive believing if he finds the motive, he’ll find the killer.

   Ms. Alleyn does know how to bring post-Revolution Paris alive. Best of all, we come to know the period from the characters; their memories, the awkwardness in speech tying to confirm to the new forms of address, the new calendar and the challenges living day-to-day. It is enough past the Revolution that there is not the high level of fear, but recent enough that you sense people’s uncertainty.

   Aristide is a complex and interesting character, but although his back story was provided, he never really came to life. In spite of the personal connection between him and Laurence, I sensed no chemistry or emotional connection. Even at the end, rather than being left with a sense of curiosity, I found I didn’t particularly need to know what happens. For the other characters, perhaps because there were so many of them, none of them were well developed.

   The story has a very powerful opening. Fascinating information is provided on the different figures involved in the Revolution, and the impact on the monetary structure. The plot, however, was very slow until about half-way through. As we progressed, I felt there was a rather too convenient twist and huge leaps in logic made to bring us to the proper conclusions.

   In spite of the positive elements, and there were some, I did not find this book as engrossing as the previous books in the series. Had this been the first book I’d read of this series, I might not read another.

   Fortunately, I have read the other two books published so far, and I loved them. I have great hopes that the next book will restore my faith in this author.

Rating:   Okay.

       The Aristide Ravel series:

1. Game of Patience (2006)    [Book Three; 1796]

2. A Treasury of Regrets (2007)    [Book Four; 1797]
3. The Cavalier of the Apocalypse (2009)    [Book One; 1786]
4. Palace of Justice (2010)    [Book Two; 1793]

LUIZ ALFREDO GARCIA-ROZA – The Silence of the Rain. Picador, trade paperback reprint, July 2003. Hardcover edition: Henry Holt & Co., July 2002.

   This moody sort of detective novel was first published in Brazil and translated from the Portuguese, and to start matters off in the right direction right from the beginning, I highly recommend it to you.

   It begins in a mildly light-hearted fashion, as a mix-up over a wealthy executive’s suicide in a parking garage leads Inspector Espinosa of Rio de Janeiro’s First Precinct into handling the case as though it were a murder.

   (Not unlike Columbo of TV fame here in this country, we are privy to certain events that Espinosa is not, and even by the end of the case he is still running through endless speculations as to what actually happened.)

   The mood becomes gradually edgier, though, until page 121, which is where the reader is confronted with the realization, rather forcibly, that this is no cozy, and never was. Reading mysteries taking place in other countries also makes you realize that the rules are often totally different. Here’s a quote from page 161:

   And from page 238:

   Espinosa is, the dead man’s widow decides, a rare bird, a cultivated policeman. He is attracted to her. She is so wealthy she does not seem to notice. Espinosa is a reader of Dickens and Thomas De Quincey, is afflicted by loneliness and self-doubts, and he is also better than decent as a reader of character.

   Complicating matters is the million-dollar life insurance policy the dead man had recently taken out, followed by the disappearance of his secretary Rose.

   Besides an almost other-worldly atmosphere and surroundings, there are enough twists and turns of the ensuing plot to keep any detective story buff more than satisfied, even with the aforementioned Colombo-like prologue.

   There is also an ending I know I’ve never read before — I couldn’t possibly have forgotten a scene like this, and if you read the book, as I’m strongly suggesting, you won’t either.

   And yes, the telling of tale does switch back and forth between first person and third. Just in case you were wondering!

       The Inspector Espinosa series —

1. The Silence of the Rain (2002)
2. December Heat (2003)

3. Southwesterly Wind (2004)
4. A Window in Copacabana (2005)

5. Pursuit (2006)
6. Blackout (2008)
7. Alone in the Crowd (2009)

JOSEPH L. BONNEY – Murder Without Clues. Carrick & Evans, hardcover, 1940. Digest-sized paperback: Green Dragon #16, 1940s, condensed.

   An amateur pugilist who plays the violin, dabbles in chemistry, smokes pipes when he’s pondering, deduces expertly, investigates crime, and has a roommate named Watson.

   Yes, as you surmised, I am alluding to Simon Rolfe, who regards Sherlock Holmes as an “incompetent bungler.” There are differences, of course; Rolfe reads mostly, perhaps only, of the works of Montaigne.

   While he criticizes some of Holmes’s deductions, Rolfe himself occasionally falls short in exercising that talent. For instance, Watson tells Rolfe that he does a lot of typewriting and moons about when he’s trying to straighten out a plot sequence or characterization. Rolfe responds: “You’re a writer, then?”

   In this novel, either the first or the second of two featuring Rolfe — I’d deduce the first, since he meets Watson in this one — the police are baffled by a locked room stabbing at the home of a former vaudeville memory champion.

   Not only was the room locked, with untracked snow outside the windows, but all the inhabitants of the house have alibis, including the man the stabbed woman accuses of the murder just before she dies. The weapon, which could not have been removed from the house, cannot be found.

   An interesting detective, appearing in not a lost gem of the literature necessarily, but nonetheless a good read.

    Bibliographic Data:   [Taken from the Revised Crime Fiction IV, by Allen J. Hubin.]

BONNEY, JOSEPH L. (1908?-1989?)

       Murder Without Clues (n.) Carrick 1940 [Simon Rolfe]
       Death by Dynamite (n.) Carrick 1940 [Simon Rolfe]

       Look to the Lady! (n.) Lippincott 1947

MARTIN WALKER – The Dark Vineyard. Quercus, UK, hardcover, 2009. Knopf, US, hardcover, July 2010.

Genre:   Traditional mystery/police procedural. Leading character:  Captain Bruno Courrèges; 2nd in series. Setting:   St. Denis, France.

First Sentence:   The distant howl of the siren atop the Marie broke the stillness of the French summer night.

   The alarm on the top of the Mairie (city hall) of St. Denis calls Police Chief Bruno Courrèges and the volunteer squad out to a fire of a field and large barn.

   Upon investigation, Bruno learns the fire was arson and the property being used to develop GMO (genetically modified organisms) crops; specifically, drought-resistant grape vines.

   The Californians are coming, wanting to buy a large part of the valley, which would bring jobs and produce varietal wines. Someone wants to stop it through vandalism and maybe murder.

   More and more, I look for good mysteries that rely on the mystery and on well-drawn characters rather than overt violence. This is just such a mystery.

   Walker brings the Pergord area, the fictional town of St. Denis, and the people to life with descriptions so evocative, you’re inclined to pack a bag. Walker’s inclusion of information on GMOs, the impact of climate change on the wine industry, the cost of land, and more enhances the story, without ever bogging it down.

   Bruno is one of the best protagonists I’ve read in awhile. He knows and cares the people and about whom Walker causes you to care as well. Bruno is savvy to what works with them, solution-oriented, his military training stands him well and he loves his community.

   What I most appreciate is his good working relationship with his counterparts and superiors. The plot is well constructed. Walker does use a number of French terms; most I understood through the plot and only a couple did I have to look up, but it added veracity to the story.

   This is not a fast-paced, guns-blazing, cars-racing story. It is one which builds upon itself through characters with a subtle tension as the story progresses.

   I did identify the villain, but not until three quarters of the way through the story, at which point I felt it was somewhat deliberate, but I didn’t guess the motive until it was revealed.

   Once I started this book, I found impossible to put down. This was a very good read and one I highly recommend.

Rating:   Very Good.

        The Bruno Courrèges series —

1. Bruno, Chief of Police (2008)

2. The Dark Vineyard (2009)
3. Black Diamond (July 2010)

JAMES HILTON – Was It Murder?   Paperback reprint: Bantam #29, 1946. Hardcover edition: Harper & Brothers, US, 1933. Other reprints include: Dover, trade paperback, 1979; Perennial Library, pb, 1980. First published as Murder at School, by Glen Trevor: Benn, UK, hardcover, 1931.

   James Hilton’s only mystery is set in a boys’ school in England. It is interesting to compare it with Nicholas Blake’s mystery A Question of Proof, which has the same sort of setting. Both Hilton and C. Day Lewis, Blake’s real name wrote other kinds of literature and gained their primary reputation that way.

   Blake, in his first detective story, gives us the picture of an entire school and its operations, while Hilton prefers to concentrate on one segment. Hilton shows us just a corner of the physical domain: the headmaster’s house, the home of one of the married masters, a dormitory, and glimpses of the chapel and the Circle, a path around the perimeter of the school.

   His amateur detective, Colin Revel, is an “old boy” of Oakington, so it is not hard to find an excuse for his presence before there is widespread suspicion of murder.

   Blake’s detective is called in by a master under suspicion after murder has very obviously been done. Yet both fit well into the schools, get along with masters and boys, and don’t seem out of place.

   Revell is called in by the headmaster, Dr. Robert Roseveare when one of the younger boys is killed, apparently by acc1dent. Roseveare seems nervous, but as the investigation goes on and the accident seems to be precisely that, he is quite anxious to have Revell leave.

   Then a second boy dies, a brother of the first, in another ‘accident.’ Revell hastens back; the police are called in by the boys guardian, and evidence is found that this time it is murder.

   Suspicion naturally falls on the master, who inherits all the boys’ wealth. But there is no evidence. And there is a deathbed confession, and the police leave. But Revell is not satisfied and stays on.

   The cast of characters is small; suspicion never goes far from the one person. There is less a hunt for evidence than a delving into the high emotions of the people: love, jealousy, greed, fear, pride.

   Sophisticated readers of the 70s may guess the surprise solution before the end, but the writer keeps up the drama and the suspense; we can’t be sure. And when the final revelations come, they draw together all the skeins, and one puts down the book with a sigh of satisfaction.

Bibliographical Note:   It is not quite true, perhaps, that this book was Hilton’s only mystery, as there are three others listed under his name in the Revised Crime Fiction IV, by Allen J. Hubin. Two are included only marginally, however, and the third may be a crime story without being a mystery, per se. For completeness, though, here’s the complete list:

  HILTON, JAMES. 1900-1954.

       -Rage in Heaven (n.) King 1932
       Knight Without Armour (n.) Benn 1933
       Was It Murder? (n.) Harper 1933.   See: Murder at School (Benn 1931), as by Glen Trevor.
       -We Are Not Alone (n.) Macmillan 1937

SHIRLEY TALLMAN – Scandal on Rincon Hill. St. Martin’s Press, hardcover, March 2010.

Genre:   Historical mystery. Leading character:  Sarah Woolson; 4th in series. Setting:   San Francisco, 1881.

First Sentence:   The nightmare began early on the morning of Sunday, December 4.

   Sarah Woolson is only the third female attorney to be licensed in California and is struggling to get her private practice off the ground.

   A brutal murder occurs on Rincon Hill, near her home, followed shortly by a second murder. Neither victim had been robbed. Both had attended the same party. Two young, very recently immigrated Chinese men are arrested, Sarah’s former client, powerful tong leader Li Ying, hires her to prove their innocence.

   At the same time, Sarah is hired by beautiful young woman. She had a written contract with a morality-touting publisher to be his private mistress. When she became pregnant, within that time, he cut off all support. Now, she wants Sarah to sue him.

   Ms. Tallman skillfully takes the reader back to 1881, pre-earthquake San Francisco. She creates a solid sense of the places, styles and attitudes of the time. She particularly illustrates the bigotry against the Chinese.

   Living in the Bay Area, it is particularly fun for me to read about locations I know and her descriptions of food are delectable. I do wonder, however, whether those who don’t know San Francisco might feel a bit lost and wished a map or photos had been included.

   The dialogue, which reflects the syntax of the period, adds to the sense of time and provides an indication of each characters social status. For those who’ve not read prior books, enough background is given so that one understands the characters and their relationships.

   Sarah Woolson is a wonderful character. She is independent and has a good logical mind, as well as a sense of humor. I particularly like the relationships with men that Tallman has created as they are natural and realistic.

   The story is well thought out and well plotted. Because it is built layer upon layer, it did seem to slow down a bit in the middle, but that doesn’t last long. Some may feel the resolution seems convenient, but to me it seemed logical and appropriate.

   While I don’t feel this is the strongest book in the series, I did enjoy it and am looking forward to the next book.

Rating:   Good Plus.

       The Sarah Woolson mystery series —

1. Murder on Nob Hill (2004)

2. The Russian Hill Murders (2005)
3. The Cliff House Strangler (2007)
4. Scandal on Rincon Hill (2010)

  HILDA LAWRENCE – Death of a Doll. Simon & Schuster, hardcover, 1947. Hardcover reprint: Detective Book Club, 3-in-1 edition, April 1947. Paperback reprints include: Pocket #540, August 1948; Avon Classic Crime PN239, November 1969.

   Only temporarily is Ruth Miller, department-store clerk, happy with her move from a furnished room to Hope House, a Home for Girls. Upon entering the lobby of her new domicile, she is frightened by a face from the past. Miller makes plans to get away, but her assisted plunge from a seventh-floor window renders her schemes nugatory.

   A wealthy customer of the department store who liked Miller hires Marc East to investigate because the death is being treated as a suicide. Reluctantly, for he also thinks the death was self-inflicted, East begins checking out Hope House and its denizens.

   More and more evidence, including the bludgeoning of a young lady in one of the bathrooms, accumulates to persuade East that Miller was murdered.

   More or less aiding East are Beulah Pond and Bessy Petty, who are visiting the wealthy customer and who are acquainted with East through some of his earlier investigations. They are a delightful pair, despite Bessy’s slight problem with alcohol. On one occasion, just in case someone might be listening, Bessy spells out a word.

   Often I have problems with people who are in danger, real or fancied, and who dimwittedly attempt to avoid any risk by keeping quiet. Hilda Lawrence convinces here. Miller, the residents, and the help of Hope House conceal information, but persuasive reasons are presented. This novel should not be missed.

Bibliographic Data: Hilda Lawrence was the pen name of Hildgarde Kronmuller, 1906-1976. There are five novels or story collections by her in the Revised Crime Fiction IV, by Allen J. Hubin. Her series character Mark East is in three of them (so indicated by ME). Note that her books often underwent title changes when republished, and that the two long novelettes in Duel for Death have been reprinted individually.

    * Blood Upon the Snow (n.) Simon 1944 [ME]

    * A Time to Die (n.) Simon 1945 [ME]
    * The Pavilion (n.) Simon 1946
    * Death of a Doll (n.) Simon 1947 [ME]
    * Duet of Death (co) Simon 1949

JAN BURKE – Sweet Dreams, Irene. Simon & Schuster, hardcover, March 1994. Reprint paperbacks: Avon, February 1995; Pocket, September 2002. Irene Kelly #2.

   I thought Burke’s first novel, Good Night, Irene, was one of the better new voices this year, and Irene Kelly one of the better characters. The sophomore jinx seems to be a common thing with mystery novelists, though, so I kept my expectations under control.

   Things are going good and bad for intrepid reporter Irene Kelly. Good is her romance with the cop from the first book, and bad is that her paper has taken her off the police beat because of the relationship.

   She’s handling a race for DA as the book opens, and the son of one of the candidates comes to her for help. His father’s opponent is going to relase a picture that shows the kid as part of a Satanic cult; except it’s not, it’s a witches’ coven, and he’s not really part of it.

   Irene begins to dig around, but before she gets very far, the rich, elderly neighbor of her lover is murdered, with signs pointing toward satanic worship. The murdered woman sponsored a homeless shelter where some of the “witches” lived. Could there be a connection? Could, yes.

   I still like Burke’s writing. She has an easy, unforced style, and paces her story very well. As with her first book, the characters major and minor are clearly drawn and believable. The plot is complex, and in the end, I’m afraid it wasn’t very convincing. A villain was dragged in out of left field, or maybe from a neighboring ballpark.

   Burke did well telling the story of Irene and her lover, but despite a lot of bloody action the criminal plot just didn’t hang together for me. Good taste, but not enough calories.

      The Irene Kelly Mysteries:

* Goodnight, Irene (1993)

* Sweet Dreams, Irene (1994)
* Dear Irene (1995)
* Remember Me, Irene (1996)
* Hocus (1997)

* Liar (1998)
* Bones (1999)    [Edgar winner, Best Novel]

* Flight (2001) (from the POV of Frank Harriman)
* Bloodlines (2005)

* Kidnapped (2006)

      Award Nominations —

Agatha Award Best Novel nominee (1997) : Hocus
Agatha Award Best Novel nominee (1998) : Liar
Macavity Awards Best Novel nominee (1998) : Hocus
Anthony Awards Best Novel nominee (2000) : Bones
Anthony Awards Best Novel nominee (2002) : Flight
Macavity Awards Best Novel nominee (2003) : Nine
Anthony Awards Best Novel nominee (2006) : Bloodlines
Anthony Awards Best Novel nominee (2007) : Kidnapped

EDWARD MARSTON – The Owls of Gloucester. St. Martin’s, US, hardcover, April 2003. Headline, UK, hardcover/softcover, 2000.

Genre:   Historical mystery. Leading characters:  Sir Ralph Delchard/Gervase
Bret; 10th in series. Setting:   England-Middle Ages/1000s.

First Sentence:   ‘Do you want to be beaten again?’ asked Brother Frewine quietly.

    King William’s commissioner’s; Sir Ralph Delchard, accompanied by his wife Golde, lawyer Gervase Bret, Canon Hubert and Brother Simon, arrive in Gloucester to follow up on discrepancies and disputes found after the first round in the making of the Domesday Book.

    The largest dispute is over land, which has four claimants. However, their visit becomes more complicated with the discovery of a murdered monk, Brother Nicholas, the Abbey’s tax collector, the disappearance of a young novice, and the impending arrival of King William himself.

    There is nothing I did not like about this book. Marston places us in the 11th century both in sight and sound. By his descriptions, it is easy to visualize the surroundings. You know the conditions around them and when the characters are riding “hell-for-leather,” you can see and hear the horses.

    The pattern and syntax of the dialogue provides a reflection of the period without being literal to it. The inclusion of subtle humor is always appropriate and gives balance to the action.

    Marston’s characters are wonderful. Ralph, the newly married, battle-scarred soldier, is a realistic combination of an impatient Norman warrior and one who never expected to remarry after the passing many year’s prior of his beloved first wife. In this book, I particularly appreciated Ralph learning to be a husband to Golde, the realistic display of his anger and his confession to Gervase of a personal fear.

    Gervase, Saxon by ancestry, is the younger, recently married, educated lawyer who thinks before acting. The two have different natures and approaches but their friendship has given them a perfect balance. With them are the egotistical Canon Hubert and the very fearful, particularly of women, young Brother Simon.

    It is aspects such as that which gives dimension and realism to the characters. The plot was interesting and intricate with fascinating historical information which was interwoven with the story. There are multiple threads to the story which adds to the realism, and a very effective red herring.

    What is most impressive is the way in which the various threads come together at the end in a double climax, neither villain being one I anticipated. All these elements, and the overall quality of Marston’s writing, made for an excellent read.

    It is also nice that, while I always recommend reading series in order, with the Domesday series, it is not essential as each book includes enough background for each of the leading characters that the book stands on its own.

    My one regret is that there are only, to date, only eleven books in this series. I’ve only read five, though, so I still have several yet to enjoy.

Rating:   Excellent.

       The Domesday series:

1. The Wolves of Savernake (1993)

2. The Ravens of Blackwater (1994)
3. The Dragons of Archenfield (1995)
4. The Lions of the North (1996)
5. The Serpents of Harbledown (1996)

6. The Stallions of Woodstock (1997)
7. The Hawks of Delamere (1998)
8. The Wildcats of Exeter (1998)
9. The Foxes of Warwick (1999)

10. The Owls of Gloucester (2000)
11. The Elephants of Norwich (2000)

JOHN SHERWOOD – Creeping Jenny. Charles Scribner’s Sons, hardcover, 1993. Celia Grant #9. No US paperback edition. Macmillan, UK, hardcover, 1993.

   Celia Grant is a horticulturist, and owner of Archerscroft Nurseries, which specializes in the rarer and more rarely seen varieties. She also finds time to become embroiled in various forms of shady doings.

   Celia hires for the summer a painfully shy girl whom she doesn’t really take to, the Jenny of the title. She’s even less fond of her after she seduces Celia’s head gardener, and then is apparently kidnapped.

   The investigation leads to a radical environmental group who are threatening dire consequences to a local garden show, among other more serious things, and all this at a time when Celia is in the middle of a squabble between a local landowner and an industrialist new to the area.

   I like this series. Celia is an enjoyable character, and I think one of the better realized crop of British amateur sleuths. Sherwood writes well, and generally tells a good story, occasionally with a little edge.

   Though not really hardboiled, Celia isn’t Miss Marple. Some in the series have more depth than others, but they are usually peopled with interesting characters, and the plots are usually adequate.

   I don’t think this is one of the stronger entries, but it was certainly readable, and stopped short of being disappointing.

       The Celia Grant series —

1. Green Trigger Fingers (1984)
2. A Botanist at Bay (1985)
3. The Mantrap Garden (1986)

4. Flowers of Evil (1987)
5. Menacing Groves (1988)
6. A Bouquet of Thorns (1989)

7. The Sunflower Plot (1990)
8. The Hanging Garden (1992)
9. Creeping Jenny (1993)
10. Bones Gather No Moss (1994)
11. Shady Borders (1996)

   John Sherwood had a crime-writing career than spanned six decades. He was not uniformly prolific throughout that time, but he had two periods in which he was very active. Starting out in 1949 with a longish series of adventure and espionage novels, including several with a series character named Charles Blessington, he wrote only four in the 1960s and 70s. He might be best known for a book called Death at the BBC (as it was titled in the US) in 1982, then came the long run of Celia Grant books.