Thistles & Pirates: Recommended Books to Read

(Originally written for Ivy Quill Reviews)

DEED OF MURDER
Cora Harrison
Severn House, 2011

Cover Art:
Deed of Murder

The O’Halloran clan has grown flax and produced linen for years. It is their principal means of support, and Mara, Brehon of the Burren, doesn’t expect any change to the status quo. At the annual auction for the lease, however, a late arrival outbids Cathal O’Halloran. Later, at her infant son’s christening party, she discovers three of her students have disappeared. Eamon, charged with taking the lease to O’Brien of Arra, owner of the flax garden, for his signature, is found dead in the flax garden. Why he departs in the middle of the night is a mystery, as is the location of his body.

Why did he take the long way back from O’Brien’s? What happened to the lease he carried and was it signed? Was he killed to necessitate another auction, or was his death an accident? Did Fachnan, another of the missing students, confront Eamon in a jealous rage? If not, where is he? Mara wants to solve these conundrums, but her regal duties as wife of the Irish King Turlough prevent her from unraveling the mysteries confronting her. Then another body turns up. When she finally realizes what happened, will she be in time, or will someone dear to her also die?

This latest in the Brehon of the Burren series set in early 16th-century Ireland unravels at a slower pace than usual, but punctuates Mara’s distractedness as she ponders her young son’s future while entertaining her guests. The author’s tendency to repeat information may annoy some readers, and the slow pace may dissuade others from reading the entire book, but those who persevere will be rewarded with an electrifying climax and a surprising solution to the crimes.

(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, November 2011)

DIE I WILL NOT
S. K. Rizzolo
Poisoned Pen, 2014

Cover Art: Die I
Will Not

The 1813 murder of a newspaper editor intrigues Penelope Wolfe, but the resulting scandal could involve her. The editor was about to reveal the identity of Collantinus, who's been writing letters attacking the Prince Regent. Twenty years ago, Penelope's father used that name to pen treasonous letters. Fearing arrest after the murder of a lady known only as N. D. and with ties to the Prince Regent and himself, he fled the country. Now someone uses his alias to seek revenge for N. D.'s murder. To protect her family, Penelope enlists the aid of two friends: barrister Edward Buckler, who's in love with her even though she's already married, and John Chase, a Bow Street Runner. Together they risk their lives and careers to unmask the villain and protect Penelope.

The complicated mystery is neatly solved, while the personal relationships are intriguing. Readers unfamiliar with the previous books in the John Chase Mysteries may feel disoriented by the characters and period language, but as the story unfolds this fades away. From the rigid, prim-and-proper rules of society to the seamier sides of the city, Rizzolo vividly brings to life the world of Regency London.

(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, February 2015)

A GATHERING OF SPIES
John Altman
Putnam, 2000

Cover Art:
A Gathering of Spies

In 1933, Katarina Heinrich murders a co-worker and assumes her identity and her job as a professor's housekeeper. By the time her employer is invited to work in Los Alamos, New Mexico, the pair have married. When Katarina obtains the top secret plans for the atomic bomb, she can finally return a hero to her homeland, Nazi Germany. Getting there poses problems, though.

Ten years pass, and America has joined her allies in fighting Hitler. Meanwhile, in England, Andrew Taylor has recruited Harry Winterbotham to infiltrate the enemy as a double agent. With Katarina headed for England, Harry finds his impending mission put on hold. He assists in searching for this most dangerous of spies, but does so with his own agenda. His mission is paramount, for he means to secure the release of his Jewish wife, a prisoner of the Nazis, no matter what.

The intriguing twists and turns in this debut novel capture the reader's attention offering no escape until the last page is turned. While none of the characters is likeable, Katarina and Harry evoke respect for their ingenuity and determination to achieve their goals. An excellent thriller.

(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, November 2000)

HOMICIDE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Cheryl Honigford
Sourcebooks Landmark, 2017

Cover Art:
Homicide for the Holidays

Near Christmas 1938, Vivian Witchell discovers a long-missing key to her deceased father's desk. She finds money and a seven-year-old warning -- not to talk -- inside the locked drawer. Who threatened her father and why? The questions stir her curiosity, but the threat brings back memories of the murder she helped solve two months earlier at the Chicago radio station where she works. When the money vanishes, she knows someone else knows what she's found. Then she uncovers a second key, but to what? Private detective Charlie Haverman could help, but she hasn't seen him since the other mystery.

Viv longs to renew their acquaintance, but he refuses to play second fiddle to Graham Yarborough, her co-star in The Darkness Knows. She doesn't love Graham, but the radio station insists that the public think they are an item. Refusal would mean losing her job. Once she tracks down Charlie, he agrees to help her purely as a business proposition. The more they learn, the more she realizes her father wasn't the man she thought he was. The closer she comes to the truth, the more determined someone is to keep her in the dark.

Suspects abound in this second Viv and Charlie Mystery: a partner who drinks too much, a secretary with a green thumb, an assistant state's attorney, a secretive German companion, and a loyal housekeeper. The red herrings and diverse subplots will keep readers guessing, but the historical tie-in to her father's death is tenuous. The romance is less satisfying and the repartee between Vivi and Charlie is disappointingly absent in this sequel to The Darkness Knows; in fact, Charlie doesn't show up until chapter ten, and he's more of a supporting character than one might expect. Still, fans of Viv and Charlie will welcome their return.

(Originally published in Historical Novels Review, November 2017)

THE LAST TO REMEMBER
Joyce and Jim Lavene
Thomas Bouregy & Co/Avalon Books, April 2001

Cover
Art: Last to Remember

A blizzard. A child's corpse in a church. A murder confession. A death in the police station. A snitch in the department. An obnoxious district attorney. Combine these ingredients and you have a riveting mystery for Sharyn Howard, the sheriff of Diamond Springs, to solve.

The body in the chapel of the former boys' reformatory belongs to a child long dead. Soon after its discovery, the town's wealthiest and most philanthropic citizen confesses to killing the boy forty years ago. Then the alleged murderer turns up dead in the police station and Sharyn realizes she and her deputies are in trouble. The unexpected appearance of Alan Michaelson confirms her suspicions that a colleague is in the assistant district attorney's pocket because he knows details of the case before she tells him. But who is it?

Nick, the medical examiner, is a constant thorn in Sharyn's side. Jeremy, his assistant, is overzealous and inexperienced. Even worse, could it be one of her deputies: Lennie -- a hunk and former pro-football player who's studying the law; Ernie -- a man her father trusted and who's not focusing on the job; or David -- who doesn't always think before acting but covets her job?

As she wades through this public relations mess, interrogates suspects, and delves into long-buried secrets connected with the old boys' reform school, Sharyn dislikes what she finds. With each clue, she comes closer to solving the case, making her a target as well. But will she put all the pieces together before someone else dies?

Although this is the second Sharyn Howard book by Joyce and Jim Lavene, mystery fans won't feel like they're floundering if they haven't read the first book, The Last Good-bye. They have created a wonderful cast of characters that make for a most engaging murder mystery. The twists and turns spiced with a few red herrings will keep readers intrigued, compelling them to turn the page until the puzzle is solved. They will root for Sharyn even when she seems to face insurmountable odds, because despite her foibles, she is an old-fashioned, honorable sheriff. And her interactions with Nick and Lennie make a most amusing interplay of human emotions that promise more spice to come in future cases for Sharyn and the Diamond Spring Police Department to solve.

(Originally reviewed for Ivy Quill Reviews)

MISSING STAR
Don Westenhaver
First Edition Design Publishing, 2016

Cover
Art: Missing Star

After graduation, Danny Parker ended his relationship with Joyce Villareal to become a priest. Now, having witnessed so much death and destruction in the Great War, he questions his faith and God's existence. Thoughts of Joyce and renewing their relationship sustain him, but meanwhile she has pursued her own dreams and is a rising Hollywood star.

On his return to Long Beach, California, Danny finds work in the oil fields and visits Joyce's father, only to hear that Joyce has gone missing. Joyce's father pleads with Danny to investigate, and Danny enlists the help of his brother, a Long Beach police officer. When a high school friend's girl is kidnapped off the beach, Danny begins to wonder if the same might have happened to Joyce. But who took her and why?

The coercion of someone close to the investigation is the weak thread in what is otherwise an intricately woven web of intrigue. The reason for the blackmail is plausible, but the resolution is a bit pat and the character's guilt isn't deeply explored. Even so, this historical mystery combines the inspirational themes of redemption and second chances with greed, corruption, jurisdictional disputes, and political clout in a way that vividly transports readers back to 1919. Glamour and glitz, as well as black gold, provide the camouflage that hides the seamier side of a Hollywood where exploiting innocence and pleasure take precedence over human decency.

(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, November 2018)

MURDER ON OAK STREET
I. M. Foster
Independently Published, 2022

Cover
Art: Murder on Oak Street

Jilted at the altar, Daniel O’Halleran accepts a job that combines his two passions: medicine and criminal investigation. He moves to Patchelogue, Long Island, where Kathleen Brissedon, the daughter of a wealthy resident, asks him to look into an unsolved murder for her desolate stepbrother. The case is one that has haunted Daniel for two years; he did the autopsy and was frustrated because the New York City police gave the crime only a cursory examination.

Before Daniel has a chance to delve into the mystery, a new murder occurs. On a hot summer night in 1904, someone slits Thomas Brissedon’s throat. With the help of a local police sergeant, as well as an uncle who works for New York’s police department, Daniel learns the victim collected secrets and was willing to use anyone, including his own children, to get what he wanted. Daniel discovers there is a connection between the two murders, but how and why must wait until he figures out who killed Thomas. Was it the angry stepson? The callous, drunken son with gambling debts? The guttersnipe wooing Kathleen? The cousin in love with the maid, whom Thomas fired? The wife whose husband has what Thomas wanted? The partner he ruined? Or is Kathleen the murderess?

While it takes one third of the book to introduce the characters and set the stage for the murder, once Thomas succumbs, the pace quickens and it becomes an intriguing who-dun-it. This first book in the South Shore Mystery series interweaves murder, mayhem, and romance with well-drawn characters rife with foibles and a vile, despicable villain. Foster, a historian and librarian, brings the Edwardian period and bygone Patchelogue to life, and readers will look forward to Daniel’s next mystery as well as his developing relationship with Kathleen.

(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, August 2023)

RESURRECTION MEN
T. K. Welsh
Dutton, 2007

Cover
Art: Resurrection Men

In the midst of a storm, a carriage careens along a mud-choked road. The coachman doesn’t see the lad until it’s too late. Against his employer’s wishes, he takes the injured boy to a nearby physician, whose ministrations bring to mind another boy whose story begins in 1830 Italy. Twelve-year-old Victor witnesses the brutal slaying of his parents by soldiers, who sell him to a ship owner. Life at sea is different, but Victor quickly learns the ropes. Danger threatens once again, and in trying to escape, he tumbles from a mast to the deck. No longer able to walk, the captain orders him thrown overboard.

Victor washes ashore in England where a kind old shepherd nurses him back to health. Unable to support another mouth, the shepherd sells Victor to two men who transport him to London atop a corpse inside a coffin. Victor never forgets this harrowing experience, but it is the first of many lessons he must learn, for these men are body snatchers. The friends he makes as a street urchin and the doctor who treats him after a severe beating provide Victor with hope. His greatest trial comes when his friends mysteriously disappear, and he must overcome his fears to rescue them.

Welsh doesn’t sugarcoat this Victorian world, and while the story may be unsavory and disgusting, he expertly weaves hope throughout the tale. He introduces the reader to the reality of living in the streets during a time when medical experimentation required bodies no matter what the cost. Resurrection Men demonstrates the cruelties of life and how children learn to cope, to adapt. It is not a tale for the faint of heart, but those who venture into its darkness will be richly rewarded for daring to do so.

(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, May 2007)

THE SHILOH SISTERS
Michael Kilian
Berkley Prime Crime, 2004

Cover Art: The
Shiloh Sisters

One evening in 1862, the wife of an influential congressman visits General Ulysses S. Grant’s headquarters. She fears for her sister, the wife of a Confederate officer, and requests a pass to cross into enemy territory. Against his better judgment, Grant agrees. When the Confederate Army attacks the next day, the general must deal with more important matters than his concern for the woman’s safety. After the bloody Battle of Shiloh, both women are found murdered and embalmed on the Union side of the line.

Having been sent west to thwart Confederate plans, Harrison Raines finds himself under suspicion of being an enemy spy. When Grant learns that Raines is actually a U.S. Secret Service agent, the general enlists Raines’ help to discover the murderer’s identity. The answer lies in Corinth, Mississippi, a town held by the Confederate Army and teeming with soldiers, gamblers, prisoners, and spies who want Raines dead.

The fifth title in the Harrison Raines Civil War Mystery series, Shiloh Sisters provides an intimate and brutal look at war and evil. Kilian’s depiction of the Battle of Shiloh sets the stage for a curious puzzle that seems to have more twists and turns than a serpent. The inclusion of Louise Devereux, a returning character whose life is irretrievably entwined with Raines, keeps the reader guessing from beginning to end of a mystery deftly told.

(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, May 2008)

SOME MURDERS IN BERLIN
Karen Robards
Mira, 2024

Cover Art: Some Murders in
Berling

Eight women slaughtered. Not a headline the Nazis want broadcast to the citizens of Berlin in 1943. Nothing can affect morale at home or the front. Therefore, Dr. Murder must be consulted, regardless of what the lead investigator thinks. Elin Lund detests the moniker she has earned through her forensic psychiatric work. No matter how much she wants to stay in Denmark to protect her half-Jewish daughter from the evil that threatens Copenhagen, Elin feels compelled to help two colleagues who work for the Resistance and are being hunted by the Nazis. They accompany her to Berlin to aid the investigation and to hide in plain sight. If they are discovered, all three will die.

Despite the skepticism of Kriminalinspektor Kurt Schneider, Elin scours the crime scenes for clues, which are easily lost in the rubble from nightly bombings. But the connection between the women remains elusive. One piece of evidence suggests the culprit has ties to the SS. This knowledge endangers both Elin and Kurt for different reasons, both associated with their pasts. Trust becomes an issue because they are enemies who must work together.

Robards has crafted a complex mystery, set in a well-known historical period. The usual subjects are covered in atypical ways that make the story fresh and compelling. Tension, conflict, psychology, and atmosphere combine to clearly demonstrate how the past affects the present and influences who characters are. Danger may lurk in the shadows of Some Murders in Berlin, but the threats and peril are palpable enough to make readers constantly look over their shoulders.

(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, August 2024)

TROUBLE BREWING
Dolores Gordon-Smith
Severn House, 2012

Cover Art: Trouble Brewing

On a friend’s recommendation, Harold Rushton Hunt, owner of Hunt Coffee, asks Jack Haldean to find out what happened to his great-nephew. No one has seen Mark Helston since he left his home in January, and Scotland Yard hasn’t turned up any clues. Has he been kidnapped? Is he dead? Did he kill someone and run away? To complicate matters, Hunt believes something’s wrong within the company, but is Mark responsible?

With the help of friends, Jack investigates the suspects: Hunt’s son who runs the business, Mark’s sister who gains a bigger inheritance with Mark dead, her second husband who’s on the brink of bankruptcy, or might it be someone else entirely? Once Jack discovers the first body, others soon follow, and each new clue adds another wrinkle in a puzzling case.

Set in the Twenties, this is the sixth Jack Haldean mystery. Readers will have no trouble diving in without having read the previous titles in the series. Solving the mystery, however, may be more challenging. This fast-paced page-turner has more twists than a serpent, yet it’s easy to follow and the ending may surprise even the most die-hard mystery fan. Great read!

(Originally reviewed for Historical Novels Review, August 2012)

UNTIL OUR LAST EMBRACE
Joyce and Jim Lavene
Thomas Bouregy & Co/Avalon Books, 2001

Cover
Art: Until Our Last Embrace

A phone call rescues Sharyn Howard, sheriff of Diamond Springs, from fixing the plumbing in her mother's house. Darva Richmond, whose brother-in-law died during the investigation of a previous case, is found dead at a campsite in the North Carolina woods. Evidence points to a renegade bear as the culprit, but Sam Two Rivers, the tracker sent to locate the bear, suggests otherwise.

The most likely murder suspect is Darva's husband because he was the only other person at the campground, but Donald's in-laws had their own reasons for getting rid of Darva. While Nick Thomopolis examines the body, Sharyn thinks the death is an accident until the investigation turns up evidence to support Sam's conclusion. When Darva's aunt arrives with letters, Donald once again becomes the prime suspect.

While Sharyn tries to sort out fact from fiction, she also contends with Jack Winter, the district attorney. She's wary of him and his manipulations, but he wants to personalize their relationship. Her refusal promises to make her job even more difficult. At the same time, she must come to terms with her mother's impending marriage to Senator Talbot, a friend of Winter and a man Sharyn distrusts.

This fourth installment in the series is by far the best one yet. The dynamics between Sharyn and Nick heat up while those involving Winter promise that he will be a villain to despise when he and Sharyn finally have their showdown in a future installment. Unraveling the twists and turns of Darva's death will prevent readers from closing the book. Those who haven't read the previous books need not worry. Until Our Last Embrace contains enough information to allow anyone to enjoy this delectable mystery, and the sinister teaser at the end promises that readers will return for the next case Sharyn Howard tackles.

(Originally reviewed for Ivy Quill Reviews)

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Excerpts of My Stories	Gallery: Clan Cameron	Gallery: Rebel & Spy	Gallery: Scottish Highlands Workshops
Gallery: Thistle's Scotland 1	Gallery: Thistle's Scotland 2	Historical Fiction vs. History	My Interviews & Other Writings
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