Tea Time for the Traditionally Built  is the tenth book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Novel series. I love, love, love this series, which centers on Precious Ramotswe, a woman in Botswana, as she opens her own detective agency and takes care of problems large and small. The language of these stories have the cadence of Africa, and the reader can feel the sun, the warmth, and the nature of the people through the language of these books.

In this installment, Precious’ “tiny white van” which has served her so faithfully is on its way out, much to her dismay. She is also hired to discover why a top football team (soccer in the US) is losing all its games. Parallel to these stories is the continued development of her assistant’s storyline: Grace Makutsi who is engaged to a furniture salesman and has formerly earned the coveted 97 percent on her secretarial exam. Other familiar faces: the two apprentices who never seem to graduate to become full-fledged mechanics, the foster children, and Precious’ husband, all are present as well.

Throughout these books, the sun shines, the people go on with their daily lives, and the characters develop. Each book is another chapter in their lives, often with the addition of new characters as well. I highly recommend these novels to those who love a light mystery and a story of human nature, told in an enchanting African style.

I give this series 5 Stars! I own all these books and my husband enjoys them, too. We usually pre-order them from Amazon.

On a recent trip to California, I was searching for a good book to read on the plane and purchased Serendipity  by Louise Shaffer. This novel tells the story of three strong, Italian-American women and the trials and tribulations they have with their lives and each other – with the protagonist being a young woman from their fourth generation. Carrie Manning feels she cannot move forward with her own life until she better understands her roots and the reason for her recently deceased mother’s alienation from her own mother. A lot of this story is told in flashback as Carrie visits places and people to understand the mystery of her mother and grandmother’s falling out. By the end, Carrie has come to understand not only her mother, but herself, and the reader has come to know four unique and interesting women.

I really enjoyed this story. It read quickly and was engrossing. I must confess, being Italian-American I felt I had an affinity for the characters as well. I stayed up after midnight reading it to the finish, then wished I hadn’t so that it wouldn’t be over! Overall, it’s a great book and one I would recommend to my friends.

I’d give it 4 1/2 Stars!

I like nothing better when I travel than a quick and easy read, and MHC’s thriller Where Are You Now? was just that. Typical of her stories, the protagonist is a young and intelligent lawyer in NYC searching for her brother who has been missing for ten years – yet calls home each Mother’s Day. If you read a lot of MHC – and I’ve read them all – this is pretty regular fare: lots of suspects, exciting turns of events, some predictability, some too-good-to-be-true unbelievability, and a happy ending. To be honest, it’s not my favorite of hers, but it did make for an easy airport read (where I purchased mine).

I’d give it  3 stars!

Coming Soon: a review of Louise Shaffer’s Serendipity.

I’m a big fan of Alison Weir’s non-fiction books of British history, so I was excited to see she had written a historical fiction novel of the early life of Elizabeth I. The Lady Elizabeth spans Elizabeth’s life from toddlerhood to the point when she discovers that Queen Mary is dead, and she will be queen. (I am assuming a sequel is in the works).

I have to say, I had my ups and downs with this book. At some points, I was completely intrigued and couldn’t put it down. At other points, I felt it dragged and way too many pages were being devoted to one point in time. There is a subplot in this book (SPOILER ALERT!) of Elizabeth being taken advantage of by her stepfather and then becoming pregnant. Weir herself states that she does not believe that this is true, but is using speculation and artistic license, however, I felt far too much of the book was devoted to this and that it will be something that readers will take away far more easily than any of the truth that is portrayed and woven into the story.

Several readers in my book group found the depiction of young Elizabeth as overly precocious, to the point that she seemed unnatural or incredible. However, much of what I’ve read has stated that Elizabeth was highly precocious as a child and had a great affinity for learning. She was regarded as a fine scholar as a child and young adult. So it is possible that her precociousness was not inadequately portrayed.

Overall, I was somewhat disappointed in this story as I felt it at times was heavier on the “fiction” than the “historical”. However, I do like Weir’s writing style and do respect her as a scholar. I did enjoy her depictions of  the other historical characters in this novel, such as Henry VIII and Queen Mary.

I would give this book 3 1/2 stars! I got mine from the library.

I had heard good things about Jamie Ford’s novel, his first I believe, so I was excited to check it out from my library. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells the story of Henry Lee, a Chinese American living in Seattle, both in the present (1986) and in the past (1940’s). A downtown hotel is being remodeled and during renovations some belongings of Japanese Americans, deported to interment camps, are found. This opens up memories for Henry, a recent widow, of his teenage years in Seattle and his first love, a Japanese American girl named Keiko.

Parallel in this story is the depiction of Henry’s past relationship with his own father and his current relationship with his adult son. However, I found Henry’s relationship with Keiko to be the heart of this book. Their young love is heart-breakingly portrayed. His pain at Keiko’s forced relocation to a camp and his determination to help her is touchingly rendered. Henry’s experience as a Chinese American scholarship student at an all white school, along with the prejudice and bullying he endures, is vividly portrayed as well.

I found I enjoyed reading about Henry’s life as a teen more than I enjoyed the current day story of Henry and his son, sifting through the things found at the hotel for a link to Keiko. In my opinion, the novel ended quickly and very “neatly”, but what can I say? I love a happy ending!

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading of this time period and of the Chinese American and Japanese American experiences.

I would give this book 4 Stars!

To my delight, I was able to quickly obtain Mary Higgins Clark’s latest thriller from our library (my secret: request it in large print; it comes in faster). This was a typical Higgins Clark ride: a quick read with a sympathetic heroine who is hard-working and intelligent, but seemingly in peril. Without giving too much away, I’ll say this book involves a past murder, a current murder, a serial killer stalker, and a prosecutor who has had a heart transplant. It was a fun and fast read – perfect for the summer!
I’d give it 3 1/2 stars!

Since I enjoyed “Harvard Yard” so much by Martin, I read his “Cape Cod” this month (my husband had bought it). Martin’s books are long — this one was over 600 pages — but they don’t disappoint. As in “Harvard Yard”, “Cape Cod” follows an item (in this case a diary from the Mayflower) down through the centuries and follows two families whose histories are linked. There is mystery and history intertwined, along with a few thrills and some human interest stories. I loved it!
I’ll have to give it 4 1/2 stars!

“Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” by Jamie Ford (poignant memoir of the relocation of Japanese Americans from Seattle during WWII)
“Cape Cod” by William Martin (author of the previously reviewed “Harvard Yard”)
“The Lady Elizabeth” by Alison Weir (about QEI for my hf bookclub)
“Tea Time for the Traditionally Built” by Alexander McCall Smith (LOVE this series!)

Happy Reading!

Being a Patterson fan, I just couldn’t wait to get his newest Women’s Murder Club book from the library (there were over 250 holds on it!) so I scored it for 50% off at BJ’s. I’ve read all the other Women’s Murder Club books in this series and this one did not disappoint. One can read this book on its own, but if you’re a fan of the series, you’ll enjoy tracing old themes and reading new ones.

The main plot in this story is the murders of some high profile San Francisco millionaires and their bizarre method of death: by snakebite. Tie in a subplot of the murder of a homeless man, some similar cold cases from 1982, and issues with everyone’s love lives (except Claire’s), and you’ve got this one in a nutshell!

I enjoy these quick reads – the perfect beach book for me!
This one has the added bonus of an excerpt from Patterson’s forthcoming book for Dec. ’09: “Witch and Wizard”.
I’ll give it 3 1/2 stars – it was a fun read!

On a recent trip to the library, I picked up Murder Most Maine since it looked entertaining, not gory, and not too long (under 300 pages). It turns out that this book is the third in the Gray Whale Inn series, mysteries that involve Natalie Barnes, the innkeeper of the historic Gray Whale Inn on Cranberry Island, Maine. In this installment, Natalie is hosting an upscale weight loss retreat at her inn, when Dirk, the handsome trainer, is found poisoned and Natalie’s boyfriend is named a suspect, throwing the inn (and Natalie) into a tizzy. A secondary storyline runs throughout the book as well, as a 150-year-old skeleton is found in the local lighthouse and Natalie decides to do some additional sleuthing.

I’ve discovered that these books are part of the literary genre known as “cozy mysteries”. I personally had never heard that term before. A cozy mystery (according, in part, to www.cozy-mystery.com) is a mystery that usually features a heroine, in a small town or village, who is a typical citizen, yet she has the propensity to “find” mysteries and enjoys enjoys being an amateur sleuth. Cozy mysteries may contain murders, but they aren’t graphic, overly violent, or otherwise extremely disturbing (my prior review of the Agatha Raisin books would fit these qualities).

I really enjoyed reading this novel. It reminded me of the Faith Fairchild mysteries which I also enjoy and which also feature recipes at the end. I definitely look forward to getting books 1 and 2 of this series!

I give it 4 Stars!