Winter Lost

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Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs

The dedication for this book is to Dan dos Santos, the painter of the striking book jacket art featuring Mercy, holding a fancy and very unusual lyre. Mercy, a shape shifter, is still hurting and usually has a headache resulting from the events in Soul Taken. I read Soul Taken in 2022 but only remember Italy and a very strong and wicked vampire.

Mercy’s half-brother Gary, also the son of Coyote, shows up on a snowy night and can’t talk or write. Mercy and Adam, her werewolf husband, head to a ranch in rural Montana where Gary was working. They encounter a mammoth blizzard, caused by Ymir, a frost giant. At a lodge nearby they find most of a wedding party and some more supernatural beings. The lyre, or perhaps a harp, must be found. Also, the wedding needs to happen as scheduled, on the winter solstice by the nearby hot spring. The groom is still a couple of states away due to the blizzard.

Mercy investigates, Adam tries to protect her, and a silver spider gets involved along with Jack, a ghost. This is not the Mercy Thompson book to start with, but if you’re already acquainted with Mercy and the Tri-Cities werewolves, it may be hard to put down.

Brenda

The Weekday Vegetarians

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The Weekday Vegetarians by Jenny Rosenstrach

Cookbook author and blogger Jenny and her husband Andy have 2 teen girls. One day Jenny texted Andy “Should we become vegetarians?” And if so, how would that work? They decided to cook and serve vegetarian dinners during the week, and Jenny and Andy also decided to eat vegetarian for breakfast and lunch on the weekdays. It wasn’t an easy switch and Jenny and Andy needed more vegetarian recipes the whole family would enjoy. Eventually Jenny came up with this family friendly cookbook. Many of the recipes have options for vegans and/or suggestions to make any holdouts happier with some meat.

I’ve made three recipes so far – all warmly welcomed. Spicy-Tangy-Smoky Pinto Bean Bowls, served with rice. I skipped the cayenne to go tangy-smoky. Smoked paprika and tomato paste with a splash of red wine vinegar made canned pinto beans delicious, and leftovers were good.

Wheat Berries with Crispy Tofu, Grapes, Arugula and Feta was also a hit. I made 2 substitutions. I cooked farro instead of wheat berries, and served butter lettuce instead of arugula. The small tofu cubes baked on a sheet pan were delicious. Pistachios are also included for a nice crunch. The only criticism I have is that this recipe took me a full hour of active food prep and cooking, plus time to cook the farro. This was excellent leftover, and we look forward to variations. I’ve made the tofu again, served with a peanut sauce.

Finally, I made Roasted Butternut Squash and Black Bean Tacos. I followed the recipe, but also added half a sliced yellow onion to the sheet pan with the squash and roasted both for 35 minutes, instead of the recipe’s suggested 20-25 minutes. I also added 4 ounces of cubed halloumi cheese for the last fifteen minutes. When I added the roasted onions to the black beans and mashed them as directed, it tasted like refried beans. As suggested, I served them with both crispy and soft taco shells, though I skipped the Cilantro pesto for a jar of mild salsa.

This cookbook, which was published in 2021, is full of fresh, appealing, and healthy dinner ideas, with great food photography by Christine Han. I was happy to learn that a new cookbook, The Weekday Vegetarians Get Simple, will be published in late August.

Brenda

Uprooted

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Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Dark, with marvelous storytelling, this fantasy novel is decidedly NOT cozy, and not recommended for bedtime reading. It is also very unlike the Temeraire series by Novik in which Temeraire is a dragon bonded to a naval captain in the Napoleonic Wars. Her book Spinning Silver is probably a good readalike, but I haven’t read it (yet).

Agnieska grows up in the village of Dvernik, in a valley near the Wood, which is a very scary place. Agnieska’s friend Kasia is beautiful and is sure to be chosen by the Dragon, a wizard named Sarkan, when they are 17. When Agnieska the untidy and untalented is chosen instead, it’s a shock to the village, the girls, and their mothers. Every ten years a girl is chosen from the valley villages, later they have enough education and money to move to the city and be independent.

Agnieska was chosen because she has magic. Her magic isn’t like Sarkan’s, and her first months in the Tower are a struggle. Then Wensa, Kasia’s mother, comes for help. Kasia’s been taken to the Wood. A book of spells by Jaga (aka Baba Yaga) may be helpful.

So, the adventures begin, in the Wood, the Tower, and in the heart of the Kingdom, when the Queen comes out of the wood. Kasia and Agnieska, plus a little prince and princess, are the heart of this compelling, spellbinding story.

Brenda

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club

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The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson

In 1919, Constance Haverhill has lost her mother to influenza and then her nephew. She helped run the local estate during the war, but now is sent to a seaside hotel in Hazelbourne as companion to Mrs. Fog, convalescing from the flu. Constance has no home or permanent job since her mother’s death. This historical novel seems to be meant to occasionally move the reader to anger or indignation on how some of the characters are treated, by other characters or society at large.

Captain Harris Wirrall, a pilot in the war, lost a leg and can’t get work as a pilot. His sweetheart doesn’t want him, and his mother is remodeling Penneston Hall with funds he doesn’t have. His sister Poppy runs a women’s tax business: motorcycles with side cars. Hotel waiter Klaus, with German ancestry, has daily indignities to face, and more. Mr. Pendra gets discriminated against simply for being Indian, though he served valiantly in the war. A German U-boat is stranded on the beach, and the leaders of Hazelbourne try a variety of ways to have it removed or destroyed.

I attended Jane Healey’s Historical Happy Hour recently where she interviewed author Helen Simonson. Helen, who lives in Sussex and is best known for her book Major Pettigrew Takes a Stand, researched this novel from home in 2020. Among other digital resources, Helen read digitized issues of early motorcycling magazines, and learned about another town with a stranded U-boat. Her grandparents had a motorcycle with a sidecar.

Constance’s childhood friend, Mrs. Fog’s granddaughter, is coming back to Hazelbourne for a wedding to a rather unpleasant American. Mrs. Fog reconnects with her old sweetheart from Barbados, but her family doesn’t approve. Constance finds herself taking a few flying lessons, and stands in as a copilot when someone else gets cold feet about flying in a Sopwith Camel.

Other than mysteries, I haven’t read many books set immediately after World War I.  The author’s research helped Constance’s daily life and the seaside setting come to life. This is a memorable though bittersweet read, as women find it hard to keep jobs after the war and everyone is grieving the loss of someone from either the war or influenza. Constance, Harris, Poppy, and Mrs. Fog are all vividly drawn characters, and I wanted to read more about them.

Brenda

Drunk On All Your Strange New Words

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Drunk On All Your Strange New Words by Eddie Robson

Lydia has a rare aptitude: she can hear the alien Logi speak, in her head, and translate for them. She recently graduated from a special college where she studied their language, which appears to the reader as English. The Logi can hear her internal speech as well, but they can’t read each other’s thoughts. This science fiction novel is set in the future, in Manhattan and in Halifax, near Manchester, England. The problem with translating for the Logi, or just talking soundlessly with them, is that it makes the human translator feel intoxicated after a while.

Lydia’s assignment is with Fitzwilliam, the Logi’s cultural attaché in New York City, and they attend operas, plays, concerts, and after parties. Once Lydia was so incapacitated after translating that she took a bad fall, but Fitz caught her. There is a crime in which Lydia is a suspect. With secret help from Fitz, Lydia investigates. Another Logi, Madison, demands so much additional help from Lydia that she has trouble focusing. Sea levels have risen since our time, and the tip of Manhattan is now surrounded by a tall sea wall. Back in Halifax, Lydia is seen as rather posh, especially by people who live in 3-D printed shacks that aren’t durable. Lydia’s mother plays and reviews virtual reality games, and helps Lydia with her investigations. Her brother Gil used to modify old cars and drive them on back roads with Lydia. Modern cars all use Smart Steer, but Lydia can override the software and takes a diplomatic car for a very wild ride in Manhattan.

The Logi are intriguing characters. Their world is warmer than our, and they all wear hats, mostly concealing head spikes. Often, they wear a face wrap, possibly like the atmoscarves worn on Jupiter in Malka Older’s The Mimicking of Known Successes. Lydia has smart glasses where she reads her news feeds. She has the truthiness level set high, at 80, but occasionally looks at popular Chime feeds with low truthiness levels to keep up with trending topics. This is a compelling read, thought-provoking and with a very convincing near future setting. Readalikes include New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson and The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis.

Brenda

How to Solve Your Own Murder

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How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting with her Great Aunt Frances in the English village of Castle Knoll. Frances is found dead when Annie arrives for the meeting in her home, Gravesdown Hall. Annie suspects murder. Because of a fortuneteller’s prediction when she was a teen, Frances has always feared being a murder victim, and has prepared files on many of the villagers of Castle Knoll. The will gives her stepson and Annie one week to solve her murder before the police in order to inherit her fortune, Gravesdown Hall, a nearby farm, and the house in Chelsea where Annie lives with her mother Laura, an artist. Otherwise, everything goes to the Crown and a developer gets to build on the land.

Alternate chapters feature Frances’ diary from 1965, when Frances, Emily, and Rose are best friends with secrets, especially mean girl Emily. Frances’ diary and journals help Annie, a mystery writer, to try solving the case, which may be very dangerous. I liked the contemporary mystery better than the timeline set in 1965.

Annie is clever and appealing, as is Detective Crane. Frances isn’t as likable a character as Annie. I didn’t love this book, especially as some of the secrets are rather dark for a cozy, but I did find this mystery to be hard to put down. A sequel is expected next March, How to Seal Your Own Fate.

Brenda

Big Time

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Big Time by Ben Winters

This is a thrilling, scary, mind-bending page turner, set in the present. Grace Berney review applications for medical devices. Her mother, Kathy, increasingly needs more help at home. Grace’s teen, River, who uses they/them pronouns, is a typically challenging teen. Grace gets caught up in an adventure after a young woman, Allie, is kidnapped. Allie escapes after a car crash and runs away. She is injured and ends up in an emergency room. The hospital asks Grace’s department for information on a medical port on Allie’s chest. Grace sees the photos of Allie on her manager’s desk and reaches out to the hospital with the information. Allie has gone, running again.

Allie can remember her baby daughter Rachel, but also has memories of a completely differently life as Ana. Allie/Ana seeks help from her old friend, who is shocked to see her. River helps their mother find more information on Allie and the maker of her medical device. Grace tracks down a scientist who has found the durational element in blood. Time can be extracted and used for someone else, but how? Allie’s kidnapper is still intent on retrieving her, at all costs, and the future is uncertain, even after a big showdown. I don’t read many thrillers, but have read the author’s The Last Policeman trilogy, and knew that his creativity and plotting are excellent. Readalike authors include Black Crouch and Mike Chen.

Brenda

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea

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Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

This mostly cozy fantasy is patterned after Travis Baldree’s novels Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust. Reyna is a palace guard to ruthless young Queen Tilaine, as her mother was a guard for Queen Tilaine’s mother. At court, Reyna meets powerful mage Kianthe, and her griffin Visk. Reyna loves Kianthe’s idea of moving to a quiet village where they can open a bookshop that serves tea and is decorated with tropical plants. They find the village of Tawney, near the mountains, and a likely site for their shop.

One problem to settling down together in Tawney is that Kianthe is the Arcandor, the chief mage, and must respond to problems like dragons. Also, Reyna isn’t allowed to resign from the palace guard. And the dragons are searching for three stolen dragon eggs that may be somewhere near the village. Characters in Tawney include young Gossley, a wannabe bandit, midwife Matild, and two town leaders who each claim oversight of the village.

I enjoyed the charming small town setting and the book and tea shop. There is plenty of danger from outside the village, and this certainly has more action than Baldree’s books. I liked Baldree’s writing better, but this is a good read, and I look forward to Reyna, Kianthe, and Visk’s return in A Pirate’s Life for Tea, to be published in October. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, a July release, may be a good readalike.

Brenda

The Guncle Abroad

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The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

I loved reading The Guncle, and looked forward to reading more about Gay Uncle Patrick and his niece Maisie and nephew Grant, but sequels aren’t always as satisfying. This one is a winner. The settings are different, and the story is set five years later. It’s a vivid, bittersweet, joyous, funny, and engaging read.

Patrick takes his niece and nephew to Europe for a vacation before their father Greg’s upcoming marriage to Livia, an Italian marchesa. Maisie and Grant are now 14 and 11, and not as adoring of Uncle Patrick. They meet him in London, where Patrick is finishing up filming a movie. The kids get to visit the movie set, which they enjoy. Then they visit Paris, Austria for scenes from The Sound of Music, and then Venice, before traveling to a fancy hotel overlooking Italy’s Lake Como for the wedding festivities. The children want Patrick to talk his brother out of getting married, while Patrick tries to show them different aspects of love. He is jealous of the children’s connection to Palmina, Livia’s sister.

Patrick is 49, acting again, and single after a five-year relationship. He tries to share his wisdom with the kids, and strives to always be witty, funny, and the center of attention. The European setting is amazing, and the kids are great characters. There are a few cringey moments among the bittersweet and funny ones, with a surprise ending. If you liked The Guncle, this is a fine follow-up.

Brenda

Everyone On This Train is a Suspect

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Everyone On This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

The narrator, Ernest Cunningham, has published a true crime memoir and has been invited to participate in an Australian Mystery Writers’ Festival. The festival will be held on the luxury Ghan train, traveling from Australia’s north coast to the south coast. Not everyone will make it to the south coast, as Ernest tells the readers that there is a murderer on board. Described as “Murder on the Orient Express” meets “Clue,” or a combination of Richard Osman, Agatha Christie, and Sherlock Holmes, this mystery novel is sure to be popular. The Australian author had a hit with Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, which I haven’t read. Anthony Horowitz is a good readalike, and Nita Prose and Jane Harper recommend Stevenson’s work.

Ernest is traveling with his girlfriend Juliette, who has also written a book about what happened when they were stranded at a ski resort. Ern is now writing a mystery, but has writer’s block. As he had a large advance for his second book, Ern is hoping for inspiration at the festival. One of his favorite writers, Guest of Honor Henry McTavish, is aboard. He turns out to have a big secret, as does everyone else. This is not the type of mystery I usually read, preferring cozies or historical mysteries, but I found this to be a compelling, slightly funny read, and not scary at all, even knowing the journey will be treacherous for some.

The setting is Australian, but there isn’t a lot of local color, as they’re mostly on the train. There are seven writers on board, a publisher, an agent, and many mystery fans. The other characters are described, although we don’t hear much about Juliette, and practically nothing about her book, just that her innocence is guaranteed. Ernest tells the reader the outline of a typical mystery novel and outlines the rules about what he’ll share to help the reader guess the culprit’s identity. He also promises to play fair and be a reliable narrator. Hmm. There are two grand reveal scenes, one of which is funny, and two action adventure scenes. Clever, with well-written dialogue. Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret will be published this October.

Brenda