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Reading Rescue, August 2008:
Crime Through Time
 By Anne Allen and Mary Anne Fulmer
If you enjoy reading about crime, social intrigue and
conditions in 19th century England, then Stephanie Barron's books
featuring Jane Austen would be good choices. Jane is, indeed, a
remarkable sleuth. In Jane and the Man of the Cloth, (FIC BARRON)
Jane and her family are looking forward to a peaceful late-summer
holiday, but on the way, they have to face a terrible storm. During this
trip, they come across an over-turned carriage. As the storm worsens,
they are forced to take refuge at High Down Grange. It is a dismal manor
house and quite forbidding in appearance, but the master of the house is
extremely handsome. Does Mr. Sidmouth, master of the manor, have some
deep, dark secrets? Who is the beautiful woman staying at the Grange?
Jane can never resist a mystery, and when she finds that a man who had
been having a disagreement with Mr. Sidmouth has been found hanged, she
has to solve the crime!
Next, Jane is found taking up residence at Clawton
Cottage in Hampshire. Jane and His Lordship's Legacy (FIC BARRON)
finds Jane with a heavy heart. She is secretly mourning the lost love of
her life when Lord Harold Trowbridge makes her the heir to an unusual
bequest: a Bengal chest filled with his diaries, letters and his most
intimate correspondence. She is expected to write a memoir of Lord
Trowbridge, but before she can even pick up a pen, she finds a corpse in
the cellar of her new home. Are the letters, diaries, and correspondence
clues to the murderer? Why did Lord Trowbridge leave the chest to Jane?
Deanna Raybourn also writes some very interesting
historical mysteries set in 19th century England. Silent in the Grave
(FIC RAYBOURN) begins with Lady Grey's husband Edward dying of a heart
attack. Just as she is learning to cope with widowhood, she is visited
by Nicholas Brisbane, a private detective, who has been hired by her
husband. She learns that Edward had been receiving threatening letters.
Now, after some analysis, Nicholas and Lady Grey feel that Edward had
been murdered. They begin to investigate. Unfortunately, Lady Grey
learns that her husband had been deceiving her. He had been into the
world of corruption, deception, and had several sexual obsessions! What
will happen? Did Simon, a man who resided with Edward and Lady Grey,
murder Edward? What will happen between Lady Grey and Nicholas?
The sequel to Silent in the Grave, titled
Silent in the Sanctuary (FIC RAYBOURN) again features Lady Grey. She
has been left homeless after a fire and is just starting to recuperate,
when her large and eccentric family descends on her for the holidays.
Nicholas Brisbane is still on the scene, but is now in line for a title
and also engaged! A local curate is murdered in the former church
sanctuary and a set of priceless pearls is also missing. One of Lady
Grey's sisters, Lucy, has been found holding a bloody candlestick over
the head of the curate. Did Lucy murder him? Where are the pearls? What
is going to happen with Nicholas? This is a fine romantic mystery and a
page turner.
Victoria Thompson's novels are set in 19th century New
York. Her novels all have twisting and suspenseful plots. Murder on
Mulberry Bend (FIC THOMPSON) captures the atmosphere and conditions
in New York at that time. They city had its corrupt administrations,
many people suffering from desperate poverty while other basked in
luxury, and more than its share of new immigrants. Featured in this book
are Sarah Brandt and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy. They are a
formidable couple when it comes to solving murders. In this book, they
are working to solve the murder of a young woman, Emilia, who had worked
at a mission. Sarah decides to volunteer at the mission, and she soon
has a lot of questions. Could Emilia have been killed out of jealousy,
or could have her past caught up to her? Further, as an added bonus in
this novel, you will find a compelling hint as to who might have killed
Edward!
As time moves on, Victoria Thompson's next novel takes
place in 20th century New York. It provides a vivid portrait of tenement
life in this period. Murder in Chinatown (FIC THOMPSON) examines
the culture clash in early 20th century New York between the Chinese and
Irish immigrants. Sarah, the midwife, is helping Cora Lee, a strapping
Irish girl. Cora's husband is a successful Chinese merchant. Her niece,
Angel, who is half Chinese, asks Cora to help her. She has been promised
to elderly Mr. Wong in an arranged marriage. Angel disappears and ends
up dead in an alley. Sarah and Detective Malloy try to find her killer.
Was her Irish lover the killer? Read this great mystery to find out.
Anne Perry's William Monk novels are about a Victorian
policeman. Death of a Stranger (FIC PERRY) features Monk as he is
hired to investigate a potential case of fraud in the construction of a
new railway line. In this novel, Hester Monk's wife has a major role.
She operates a shelter for abused prostitutes. One night a well-known
railway magnate is found dead in a nearby brothel. In the meantime,
Monk's client, the fiancé of a young executive for the same railway as
the murder victim, fears her fiancé may be implicated in a fraudulent
scheme. Are these incidents connected? This is a challenging read but as
usual, a wonderful Anne Perry story.
Dark Assassin (FIC PERRY) is the fifteenth novel
featuring Monk. As a result of a near fatal accident, Monk has lost some
of his memory. In the meantime, he becomes superintendent of the Thames
River Police. He feels this will give him a fresh start and his memory
might just return. Monk and his men are on routine patrol when to their
horror, a man and a woman plunge off a bridge to their deaths. Was it an
unfortunate accident? It seemed unlikely since the woman was on a
mission to prove that her father had been murdered. Monk has to solve
the first murder to solve the other one. Perry will keep you guessing!
Elizabeth Peters Amelia Peabody is featured in a series
of novels. Amelia, an intrepid Edwardian Egyptologist, is featured in
Falcon at the Portal (FIC PETERS). It's 1911, and David has just
married into the Peabody family. He is accused of dealing in forged
antiquities possibly to support a rising nationalist movement. How will
Amelia be able to help? Will the whole family help? How much danger is
involved? This is Elizabeth Peters at her best. There are fake
artifacts, dead bodies and a mysterious child involved. It makes for an
interesting enjoyable read.
He Shall Thunder in the Sky (FIC PETERS) is set
in Egypt on the eve of World War I. Amelia is at an excavation. She is
in trouble with the British ex-pat community for her pacifist beliefs.
At this time, young Englishmen are lining up to serve their country.
Amelia and her husband Emerson a pacifist, soon find that Ramses, their
son, is playing a mysterious and potentially explosive part in the
conflict. In the meantime, Sethos a master criminal is after the
treasure that has been found at the excavation. Also on the scene is
Nehfret, Amelia's ward. This is a unique quartet. There are many
different plots and subplots to this novel. This book is wonderful and
satisfying. You will love trying to keep everything straight.
It is 1931 in London, and the perfect setting for
Jacqueline Winspear's Messenger of Truth (FIC WINSPEAR). Maisie
Dobbs, psychologist and investigator, is the main character of this
novel. She is asked for help by Georgina. The novel begins with Nick
Bassington-Hope falling to his death. It happened on the night before an
exhibition of his artwork at the Mayfair Gallery. The police rule it an
accident, but his twin sister isn't convinced. Maisie begins the
investigation, and it isn't long before she uncovers some interesting
facts. She also uncovers the perilous legacy of the Great War in a
society trying to find itself. The author vividly describes past World
War I England with its widespread unemployment, poverty and political
upheaval. This is a good historical whodunit!
The next installment of Maisie Dobbs is An Incomplete
Revenge (FIC WINSPEAR). Maisie is digging into a villager's
long-buried secrets. Her benefactor wants to purchase an estate. It is
in the hamlet Heronsdene, but he is a little uneasy after there is a
mysterious string of fires. Maisie soon proves that he was correct. A
lot of disasters have happened in that little hamlet. The author vividly
describes what is happening between the two wars in England. The story
is fast-paced and interesting. You will enjoy this book!
The library's collection contains many historical
mysteries. This is just a small sample of some that we feel are very
interesting. There are numerous authors and various settings. Please
come in and check them out.
As always if you have questions or comments, please
e-mail mfulmer@pennlib.org or
phone (724) 744-4414.
Thanks to all the children for participating in our
Summer Reading Program, and congratulations to all that turned in their
logs. Enjoy the rest of summer, and please check with the library for
the beginning of Fall Story Time.
See you in the library.
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