A Crack in the Lens

“A Crack in the Lens” is Steve Hockensmith’s latest entry in his humorous Sherlock Holmes wannabes ” Holmes on the Range” mystery series.  If you haven’t read this series yet, I recommend starting with the debut story “Holmes on the Range” – which is the funniest.

This series is set in the late 1800′s and features brothers “Big Red” and “Old Red” Amlingmeyer, two itinerant cowboys-turned-detectives who “deducify” their way to solving crimes using the methods of their beloved literary mentor, Sherlock Holmes.  The brothers unintentionally mimic Holmes (analytical and antisocial “Old Red”) and Watson (quick-witted and literate “Big Red).

It’s a good series if you’re in the mood for a humorous mystery with plenty of interesting characters, but not a good choice if you’re looking for a complex mystery of the Sherlock Holmes caliber.

Series titles include:

1) Holmes on the Range (2007)

2) On the Wrong Track (2008)

3) The Black Dove (2009)

4) A Crack in the Lens (2009)

The Case of the Missing Servant: A Vish Puri Mystery

Vish Puri, proprietor of Delhi’s Most Private Investigators Ltd, is the premier detective and most esteemed investigator on all of India – at least in his own mind.

Puri (known as “Boss” to his employees and “Chubby to his friends and family) actually spends most of his time investigating potential marriage partners for the children of worried parents.  Things heat up for Puri when he is hired to investigate the murder of a servant girl.

Tarquin Hall’s debut book in this series has charm in its cohort of quirky characters – self-satisfied and confident Puri, his ingenious and dogged staff (Face cream, Tubelight, Handbrake, DoorStop … you get the idea)  and his meddeling ‘Mummy”.  The Delhi setting and liberal use of native words adds interest.

The plot lacks complexity and the mystery is easy to solve, but it is still an enjoyable read and a good start to a series that promises to grow on readers as the characters develop.

Recommended for readers who enjoy character-driven mysteries such as the #1 Ladies Detective Agency (although not in the same league as this great series) and Detective Kubu series.

All Iowa Reads — The Rope Walk

The All Iowa Reads selection for 2009 was “The Rope Walk” by Carrie Brown.

“The Rope Walk” is billed as a “coming of age story”, which usually makes me cringe (something terrible seems to always happen in “coming-of-age” stories).   But it’s really more of a gentle narrative about a remarkable year in the life of a 10-year-old girl whose world is expanded through two unlikely friendships.

The friendship includes Alice, the sheltered daughter of a college dean, Theo, an adventurous and resourceful boy whose family seems to have forgotten he exists, and Kenneth, a famous artist dying of an HIV/AIDS-related illness.  It’s not as grim as it sounds and is liberally sprinkled with bits of humor and endearing characters.  Members of my library book club commented that it made them feel nostalgic for their childhood.

All Iowa Reads is sponsored by the Iowa Center for the Book and the program’s goal is to choose a book that Iowans will read together and discuss.

Previous selections:

• 2008.  Digging to America by Anne Tyler

• 2007.  Splendid Solution:  Jonas Salk and the Conquest of Polio by Jeffrey Kluger
• 2006. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
• 2005. The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
• 2004. Niagara Falls All Over Again by Elizabeth McCracken
• 2003. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

For more information on All Iowa Reads, see http://www.iowacenterforthebook.org/air

A Vengeful Longing

It’s 1868 in St. Petersburg.  It’s  hot, dusty, and it stinks to high heaven from the sewage dumped into the canal as inspector Porfiry Petrovich tries to unravel a series of unrelated murders in R.N. Moriss’s second St. Petersburg Mystery.

In each murder, the guilty party is obvious:  A doctor gives his wife and son a box of poisoned chocolates;  an accused seducer is found shot with his accuser standing over him with a smoking gun, and a beggar argues with a neighbor and is knifed to death the next day.

In true Sherlock Holmes style, Petrovich picks up on obscure clues that point to the true killer.

A good historical fiction with nice atmosphere and plot twists.  Petrovich and rookie detective Pavel Virginsky are interesting characters but I would like to see deeper character development.  The St. Petersburg mytersy is entitled “The Gentle Ax”.

Down the Rabbit Hole

The first in Peter Abraham’s Echo Falls series, “Down the Rabbit Hole” is a fun mystery aimed at 10-13 year-old-girls – although there’s plenty of humor for adult readers too.  The premise is formulaic (13-yr-old Ingrid Levin Hill is in the wrong place at the wrong time, finds herself implicated in a murder, and cleverly solves it by discovering its connection to a historic crime)  but the characters make up for the fact that most readers will figure out the ‘whodunit’ before its revealed.

As a childhood fan of Nancy Drew, I’m always surprised that there aren’t more mysteries for tweens and YA readers.

The Housekeeper & the Professor

Recently translated into English, “The Housekeeper and the Professor” by Yoko Ogawa’ is a “comfort book” and perfect if you’re in the mood for a literary, yet no-stress, book.

This is not a plot-driven book, and its interest rests in the characters.  You can put this book down and resume reading three days later and still know what’s happening.

Plot: A young housekeeper is hired to clean for an eccentric math professor who suffers from memory impairment in which his memory only lasts 80 minutes.  Although the 80-minute memory is a gimmick that stretches credibility, if you can accept this premise, the result is a touching examination of the relationship between the housekeeper and the professor that thankfully doesn’t fall into sentimental romance.

The book does come with discussion questions for book clubs, but I don’t think there’s enough “meat” in this book for discussion.

The Somnambulist

If you’re looking for a quirky read – something well outside your normal reading list - I suggest trying “The Somnambulist” by Jonathan Barnes. (Unless, of course, macabre Victorian mysteries with wildly fantastical characters and twisting plot lines are your usual reading fare).

I read it when it was first published in 2007 and just reread it this week and am still puzzled by it.  I think it needs a third reading.

In true Victorian mystery style, “The Somnambulist” begins with a darkly violent murder of a seedy actor in the underbelly of London’s streets – although in this case the murder involves a locked dark tower, the actor’s mother, and a human fly.  Enter conjurer and bored amateur detective Edward Moon and his sidekick, the mysterious Somnambulist.  Once famous for solving London’s most difficult crimes, Moon finds himself becoming a has-been – a man ready to write his memoirs as all the best years are gone.  This case shakes him out of his boredom.

The magic of this book is the cast of characters and the fantastical circumstances and clever plot devices — an unreliable narrator, time shifting, unresolved events and situations.

Although this is adult fiction, I’ve seen it suggested for YA readers which I think is an astute recommendation.  It’s a clever book for young minds, particularly those who enjoy the macabre and don’t mind large doses of weirdness.

Just Ducky! – Storytime Theme

For next week’s storytime at the University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics Patient’s Library, the theme will be ducks.  Sounds like a narrow topic, but you’d be surprised how many storytime-perfect duck books are on the shelves.

Age range for storytime is 2 to 10 and number of attendees can range from 1 to 10.  These storytimes require a lot of ‘playing by ear’ depending on the ages and level of injury/health conditions.  So — bringing lots of options to storytime is a must.  Humorous books seem to be a big hit with children – especially those in the hospital.

Here are the books I plan to use:

• “Duck on a Bike” by David Shannon
• “Giggle, Giggle, Quack” by Doreen Cronin
• “Quack, Daisy, Quack!” by Jane Simmons
• “Five Little Ducks” by Pamela Paparone
• “Fix-it Duck” by Jez Alborough
• “The Story about Ping” by Marjorie Flack & Kurt Wiese
• “Duck at the Door” by Jackie Urbanovic
• “Duck in the Truck” by Jez Alborough
• “Farmer Duck” by Martin Waddell
• “Make Way for Ducklings” by Martin McCloskey

Most of these books aim for the preschool age, but I’ve included some for older (such as “Make Way for Ducklings”) and some for younger (such as “Five Little Ducks”) due to the unique age range of this storytime.

Craft: cute 3-D duck masks

A Prayer for Owen Meany

I just finished John Irving’s “A Prayer for Owen Meany” – a book I never would have gotten past the first 50 pages if it hadn’t been this month’s selection for my library book club.  Although it’s a whopping 500+ pages, Irving’s interweaving of characters and plot lines make it worth the effort.

This is a good read for those interested in reading about issues of faith and miracles without the sentimentality.

Plot: This is a character-driven, coming-of-age narrative of the friendship of two boys, John Wheelwright and Owen Meany.  Meany’s conviction that God has a preordained plan for him (including the accidental killing of Wheelwright’s mother) determines every aspect of his life.  The book explores Wheelwright’s gradual understanding of Meany and his purpose in the world.  If you like a book with lots of action – this is not the book for you.

Memorable quote “No one had told [Pastor Merill's wife] that health and energy and the Lord’s work are harder to come by in bad weather.”