DRAWING CONCLUSIONS, by Donna Leon

In this 20^th novel in the marvelous series, Isspetore Guido Brunetti is caught in another mystifying case as  he investigates the murder of a reclusive widow in her apartment in Venice. With his usual deftness, Brunetti peels away years of deceit to the solution. I confess that this is my least favorite of all Leon’s books; authors change, they strike out in new, sometimes more subtle, directions, and perhaps that’s what this is. I liked previous books much better. A 7.

GETTING OFF, by Lawrence Block writing as Jill Emerson (but why bother??)

This won’t be for everyone as you might tell from the title, and the very naked woman on the cover (and the fact that Block’s talents so often stray this way). Few people write better sex scenes (there’s twenty or thirty in this little volume alone) than this guy. A raunchy take on the progress of a mass murderer leaves that TV show in the dust.  Jennifer…Kitty… Carol…Kim…Audrey…her name changes but her plan doesn’t. Once they’ve made love, they’re dead. But why? Be prepared for a few-holds-barred story in Block’s inimitable deadpan style. It’s a 7.

A FAREWELL IN SPLENDOR, by Jerrold M Packard

Non-fiction should always be this marvelous a read. The end of the Victorian era as seen during the fabled Queens’ final days brings all the disparate threads of her life and love, her children and grandchildren, the political machinations of the day, and the glories and tragedies of her 60+ year reign. With crystal clarity and the occasional tongue in cheek, this author entertains and educates. Even if you have little interet in Victoria personally, this is a compelling book. A 10.

TOUCHSTONE, by Laurie R King

This stand-alone novel, set in England in 1926, displays author King’s usual masterful touch in evoking a sense of time and place and emotion. As always, her characters are finely drawn, and the action compelling. An American agent, Harris Stuyvestant, arrives in London on the trail of an anarchist bomb-maker. He encounters Aldous Carstairs, a chillingly unpleasant manipulator, who takes him to Bennett Grey, a  war veteran whose head wounds have brought him the ability to recognize lies. Grey’s sister is involved with an aristocratic family, and further with the bomb-maker.  Or is he the anarchist? And what is Stuyvestant’s role to be? In a race to unravel deceit and suspicion, hair-trigger timing sets the American against a master plotter. A solid 9.

LASSITER, by Paul Levine

Once upon a time, Jake Lassiter was a Miami Dolphins fullback (or whatever, he played football, okay?), then his knee was destroyed and he became a lawyer. He took his gutsy style of playing on field into the courtroom, and has become the industry poster-boy for how not to try a case. This volume in the series takes Lassiter into the past, when he was a beer-swilling, womanizing jock…and the consequences of what he did in those rumbustious days. Not quite up to Levine’s usual standards, but still a good read, particularly Jake's relationship with his nephew, and the climactic scenes. A 7.

ROYAL FLUSH, by Rhys Bowen

Lady Georgiana Rannoch, dead-broke scion of Britain’s royal house, is forced to retire to her family’s Highlands estate…it’s either that or starve. En route, a security chappie asks her to protect the royal family, only a rifle shot away in Balmoral. For a change, her loathed sister-in-law Fig greets her warmly. Why? Because a clutch of horrible Americans, including the Prince of Wales’ inamorata Mrs. Simpson, have descended upon her.  Throw in a famous aviatrix, the handsome Darcy O’Mara, a murder or two, a kidnapping, and you’ve got a good solid 8. This series is great

ORNAMENTALISM, by David Cannadine

Non-fiction; subtitled How the British saw the Empire. A dense, exhaustive analysis of what it meant to be British, the subject of the British Empire, the most powerful political and economic entity in the history of the world.  Many fascinating details about the administration of the Empire; the section on honors was eye-opening. Not for the casual reader, but for a reader of historical fiction involving the Raj or the British Empire, this is well worth your time. A7.

DEATH AND RESTORATION, by Iain Pears

Further Roman adventures with art historian Jonathan Argyll and his Art Theft Squad fiancee Flavia di Stefano, this time with the proposed theft of a troubled monastery’s most prized treasure. As always, Pears creates a beguiling world of ancient art, modern evil, ambiguous morals, ethics both noble and crass…and a satisfying mystery. All the old characters are here, plus a few new ones, and a few very nice surprises as well. A 9. This is a great series.

MURDER IN THE GARDEN and FALSE PICTURE, by Veronica Heley

I am not a fan of characters who pray almost constantly, as is the case with Ellie Quicke and others in this series set in a London suburb. And I have not too much sympathy for a woman who allowed her nasty-tempered husband (now deceased…yay!) to browbeat her endlessly. Ditto with her beyond-selfish daughter. Turning the other cheek for decades gets sooo boring. That said, these are well-plotted stories, the 5^th and 6^th in a series so Heley must be doing something right for some readers, and if you’re fond of English cozies these could be a decent read. But if you like Agatha Raisin, these probably aren’t for you. For me, they’re a 6 and a tad boring.

RUNNING DARK, by Jamie Freveletti

Wow, what a roller coaster! A bomb disrupts an ultra running race. A runner is injected as she lies in the dirt. A cruise ship is threatened by Somali pirates. A Senator postures (so what else is new??) at a hearing about a security contractor. A pharmaceutical company’s plane explodes. And that’s just the beginning. For a second book, this is impressive. I’ll give it an 8 because of a few plot fizzles…but get to know this author, she should be around for a long time.

BUSMAN’S HONEYMOON, by Dorothy L. Sayers

The fabulous follow-up to Gaudy Nights will leave you swooning with delight from the first pages to the last. This is how a honeymoon should go (no, not the murder and its inquest, nor the press, nor the police, or the shotguns up the chimney), but the meshing of two very individual lives with care and concern. The comic moments will have you howling, the tender ones reaching for the next Dove miniature. I love this author! It’s a 10+

PEMBERLY RANCH, by Jack Caldwell

This is a romance set in Texas just after the Civil War when carpetbaggers abounded and thieves had respectable jobs. Such is the case in tiny Rosings, Texas, where former Confederate officer Captain William Darcy must keep his ranch and his sister from the depredations of George Whitehead, Recorder of Deeds, murderer, and villain with designs on everything and everyone. With his outlaw-cum-lawmen, Whitehead schemes to own the country. But he hasn't counted on Darcy. And Darcy hasn't counted on the enchanting Beth Bennett, whose farming family is newly come to Rosings. And then the sparks fly, literally and figuratively. The plotting is good, the action is clear and believable, the romance satisfying (mostly), and the climactic scenes wrap it all up neatly. It's a 6; if the writing had been better (characterizations are a little one-dimensional, and even in a Texas-based romance, they ought to be deeper), I'd have given it an 8.

COMRADE CHARLIE, by Brian Freemantle

When Freemantle draws a fatuous, conniving, self-deluded character, it’s one for the record books. Here he gives us two, beautifully drawn, weaseling around trying to bring down our boy Charlie. In  Moscow, teetering on the brink of perestroika, comes a spymaster who takes it all very personally. In London, two old-school-tie snobs plot to bring their flat-footed colleague down. But they never should have involved mama. Switching from one hub of power to another, Freemantle has created yet another mesmerizing tale of sly betrayal, clever manipulation, and megalomaniacal hatred. Oh, I almost forgot: there’s a love story you won’t believe. It’s an absolutely delicious 10.

CHARLIE’S APPRENTICE, by Brian Freemantle

Charlie Muffin’s annoyed the powers that be; he’s been shoved out to pasture again. Young John Gower is thrust upon Charlie; teach him how to survive, he’s ordered. And so begins Gower’s lessons in the subtle and brutal art of a spy’s survival. Does it work? Is Bejing the capital of China? Is Moscow the heart of treachery? In the former USSR’s capital, Natalia sure-foots through the former-KGB’s minefields. Muffin rat-runs through his own survival tutorial. Gower? Read on! Once again, Freemantle draws the reader in and locks the tale around ankles: too late, you’re trapped, you have to read until 2AM. A 9.

HOT AND SWEATY REX, by Eric Garcia

Fourth in the series, this time velociraptor P.I. Vincent Rubio, his guise in place but his teeth and claws never far away, is sucked into competing Miami dinosaur mobs. Now a self-confessed herbaholic, Vincent can’t keep the basil off his mind, but manages to survive shoot-outs, rigged horse races, a gator named Snappy, and an unexpected traitor. Garcia has, from the first, woven a seamless dino world, and the rich details are just perfect. It’s a 10.

OR THE BULL KILLS YOU, by Jason Webster

With a title like this, how could you go wrong? A debut novel set in Valencia, Spain, during its annual pyrotechnic fiesta, the Fallas. Homicide detective Max Camara, disliked by his superiors for his intuitive solving of crimes and his occasional lapse from accepted interrogation techniques, must judge a bullfight, a “sport” he detests. Afterward, he must solve two grisly murders, both rooted in the world of the toreador and the bulls. Author Webster knows his bullfighting lore, and I  learned more than I wanted to know. I look forward to reading more Max Camara tales. It’s a 7.

STATE OF WONDER, by Ann Patchett

Once again, Patchett’s luminous writing grabbed me and pulled me into the scientific world of researcher Dr. Marina Singh, who is sent into the Amazon jungle to find why and how her colleague Dr. Anders Eckman, died. Chief of the Amazon project is legendary, ruthless Dr. Swenson, who has her own agenda which does not include visitors. Gradually, Marina discovers the truth of who and what Dr. Swenson really is, what her goeals really are, and the fate of Anders. As with all Ann Patchett’s books, I wanted it to go on forever. It’s a 10+.

THE BLACK CAT, by Martha Grimes

Another great Richard Jury tale, involving murdered women who work for escort services in and around London. We don’t see enough of Long Piddleton and the gang at the Jack and Hammer, but Grimes’ witty dialogue never fails and the sexy Jury does his usual compassionate and complete job. The  conversations between Mungo the dog and various felines are a little far-fetched but still completely entertaining. An 8.

PRIDE AND PRESCIENCE, by Carrie Bebris

This first in a series starring Jane Austen’s newly-married Elizabeth Darcy and her aristocratic husband is so divinely satisfying that I may have to become an Austin fan. Author Bebris has got the tone and the dress and the milieu exactly right. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, along with her sister Jane and her husband, become sucked into caring for a distraught new bride at Jane’s rented country house. Other houseguests include a professor obsessed with the occult, a nasty merchant with a penchant for rudeness, overeager gardeners, and a murderer. It’s a 9...and it's a good thing the house is rented.

THE SILENT MAN, by Alex Berenson

Few authors put their heroes through so much heroic work and danger as Berenson: superman and CIA loose cannon  John Wells ricochets from Langley to Moscow to Zurich and back while the love of his life recuperates from an assassination attempt. At first, Wells is seeking revenge, then a stolen Russian A-bomb. Even the villains and the victims in this taut tale are interesting, and the plot rarely falters. A 9.

RUMPOLE AND THE PRIMROSE PATH, by John Mortimer

A half dozen entertaining mysteries solved as only the inimitable barrister Horace Rumpole can. I am not normally a short story fan, but these are  like a box of fine chocolates: you can’t consume just one, you’ve got to have the whole thing. From a rest home to the Old Bailey, from She Who Must Be Obeyed to an eternally lovelorn colleague,  Rumpole sets the world right with a sly naïveté that’s unmatchable. A 10. Great reading.

SNAKEWOMAN OF LITTLE EGYPT, by Robert Hellenga

Compelling on so many levels: as a chronicle of search and discovery and loss, of occupations and avocations, as love stories, of the perils of ignoring or indulging desires. Author Hellenga’s trademark style of fine prose, unique characters (a snake handling backwoods preacher, an anthropology professor recovering from Lyme disease, a pygmy mistress, a gun-toting ex-con with a jones for higher education…), and twists and turns which catch you unawares but are perfectly natural. People, problems, solutions:  each is illuminated in an unforgettable story that never flags, always entertains, but most of all, takes you with and inside the characters. Another 10 for this excellent author.

I CAN SEE YOU, by Karen Rose

 Award-winning romantic suspense author Rose weaves a very complex plot here, starring Eve Wilson – still scarred both physically and mentally from a vicious assault – and police homicide detective Noah Webster, who has his own devils to defeat. Eve, a doctoral candidate, discovers that subjects in a blind study for her dissertation are being murdered. Why? And how is the killer finding these women? As Noah investigates the bizarre killings, and Eve delves into the world of cyber-fantasy, the tension skyrockets. The trail is intricate but Rose will keep you on the edge of your seat. A great read, it’s a 9.

LESSONS OF DESIRE, by Madeline Hunter

Ah, romance, and romance novels, and their provocative titles. This historical romance, set in Italy and in London, is a continuation of Hunter’s other best-seller, Rules of Seduction. But it stands alone fairly well. Bluestocking Phaedra Blair, daughter of the notorious free-love advocate Artemis Blair, first sees Lord Elliot Rothwell from her prison window (her lodging, where she is unjustly held). It’s mild antipathy with a frisson of sensual desire at first sight. Hunter builds to a nice climax (pardon the pun) in the story, and the rocky road to understanding is worth the voyage. It’s an 8.

A SEASON FOR THE DEAD, by David Hewson

Series character Nic Costa  searches in Rome’s oven-like August heat  for a killer as the next victim, beautiful Sarah Farnese, hides out with Costa’s terminally-ill father in their suburban Rome farmhouse. The grisly martyrdom-based murders leave mangled bodies in Rome’s churches as shadowy Vatican figures dodge involvement... is this the source of the atrocities? Why was Sarah Farnese chosen? Who’s the mastermind? Costa and his silent, lumbering sidekick Luca Rossi, and pathologist-without-peer “Crazy Teresa” Lupo, seem to be too late each time. Hewson knows his Rome like you know your own home; it’s like a travelogue, but a very entertaining one. Great weekend read. It’s an 8.

THE VILLA OF MYSTERIES, by David Hewson

Another murder series with recurring characters, this time starring Rome-based Italian detective Nic Costa and the totally entertaining pathologist “Crazy” Teresa Lupo. A distraught tourist claims her teenaged daughter has been kidnapped. A pair of truly ugly Americans dig up the corpse of another teenager. A mostly-retired Mafia capo comes to life. Is there a connection? A great deal of violence but not gratuitous. It’s an 8.

NO STONE UNTURNED, by Steve Jackson

Non-fiction. The riveting, grim, inspiring, saddening tale of The Pig People, the founders of NecroSearch International, the Colorado-based über forensic team that has cracked cold murder cases around the world (although not the Romanov mystery: too much politics). Not for the easily upset, this is nonetheless a fascinating story of dedication by a gifted team of scientists and police, and details of many of their searches. Non-fiction should always be this compelling. It’s an 8.

BECOMING MARIE ANTOINETTE, by Juliet Grey

Meticulously researched, containing an extravagant wealth of detail, this delightful book chronicles the first eighteen years of the ill-fated queen’s life, from pampered and indulged Austrain archduchess to Queen of France. Much of it is told in first person, and the impish qualities of the young princess, thrust at age fourteen into the frivolous and dissolute French court, is mesmerizing. This is the first of a trilogy, the second book to be published summer 2012. It’s a 9; book clubs might enjoy this.

LONG, LEAN AND LETHAL, by Heather Graham

Graham is the bestselling author of Tall, Dark and Deadly. With titles like this you know what to expect. This romance  (explicit sex) is part of a trilogy with the background a daytime soap opera called Valentine Valley. Predictable, formulaic, but still entertaining, Graham has done her homework on the medical conditions she used in her book, and the disagreements aren’t those infuriating idiotic misunderstandings so common in this genre. It’s a 10 for devoted romantic-readers, maybe a 7 for the un-devoted.

ROUX THE DAY, and DINE AND DIE ON THE DANUBE EXPRESS, by Peter King

Culinary skullduggery in the Big Easy where the Gourmet Detective tries to track down an old family cookbook, but mostly manages to eat very very well. The Danube Express, a fictional train, is delightful, with many eastern Europe cooking terms and dishes deliciously explained, and a series of crimes and almost-crimes to be investigated. If you have any interest in the arcana of cooking, this amazingly knowledgeable author has written the perfect series. For devoted cooks, these’ll be a 10+, for non-foodies probably a 7.

GAUDY NIGHTS, by Dorothy L Sayers

An exquisite 1930’s murder mystery set at a women’s university at Oxford, and complete with all the obscure Britishisms you could ever want. Harriet Vane and Lord Peter Wimsey tackle, almost literally, an anonymous letter-sending vandal. A long, satisfying tale with a subtle and satisfying romance entwined in the other action, Ideal for those who want a more challenging style of writing, perfect for a week’s vacation. It’s a 10+. Some book clubs would enjoy this. And it's sequel, Busman's Holiday, is the perfect follow-up.

VOODOO SEASON, by Jewell Parker Rhodes

The New Orleans of the famous 19^th century voodoo priestess Marie Laveau is brought to life, almost literally, in this fascinating novel as her 21^st century descendant returns to the Big Uneasy and copes with murder, mayhem, memories and the undead. This author can really create some fantastical foggy-night scenes. It’s an 8.

MOVE TO STRIKE, by Perri O’Shaughnessy

A pair of sisters write this best-selling series about a Lake Tahoe-based attorney and her teenaged son. Little violence, sex or profanity, but plenty of keep-you-up-at-night plot twists, a nice romance with oodles of undertones, and not too much legalese. Despite a weird denouement, it’s all plausible, and you’ll love the perky holistic weed woman. As one of the writers is an attorney, I guess the court shenanigans actually happen, and that’s the scariest part of the entire book. It’s a 7, a great weekend read.

THE BEDLAM DETECTIVE, by Stephen Gallagher

This prolific author this time writes of Sebastian Becker, an investigator for the Crown, as he sets about to find if a wealthy nobleman who claims to see monsters is sane. As Becker arrives at a seaside town to begin his evaluation, two girls disappear and are found dead and disfigured. Valuable evidence is compromised, a competent policeman is demoted. Is this a repeat of a similar crime a decade before? Is the nobleman responsible? A complex and interesting plot with many strands, all of them believable. It’s a 9.

IODINE, by Haven Kimmel

Getting into this compelling psychological novel without reading the cover notes could leave you floundering; it certainly did me. Trace Pennington, lavender-eyed, brilliant, troubled, zooms through her college psych courses at the speed of light; she could teach them if she wanted. She lives in a remote, deserted farmhouse with her dog Weeds. She avoids all contact, then falls in love, the ultimate contact sport. Is she really Trace Pennington? Is she sane? Is she really in love? Despite the endless (no doubt brilliant) Jungian and Freudian analysis, this journey sprinkled with subtle clues and witty insights will grab you. It’s a 9. Perfect for a book club!

THE WILD ROAD, by Gabriel King

The first magical book of a trilogy about cats. I will never look at my feline, Princess CooCoo, without wondering if the story's premise could be true: cats are smart, determined, implacable, organized, astoundingly intellectual…and will save the world. The tale is fascinating. A cat is bought at a pet store, an old one-eyed cat entices him, an evil magician seeks both him and the King and Queen of cats. Completely captivating. It’s a 10.

THE PARIS CORRESPONDENT, by Alan S Cowell

Long the New York Times Paris Bureau Chief, author Cowell had written a mesmerizing tale of wild living at the edge of war’s horror, of scrupulous and unscrupulous morals, and the overlapping lives of two friends. Editor Ed Clancy and adventurous correspondent Joe Shelby, brought low by the endless internet news cycle, are trapped in a Paris news bureau, forced to interpret news third-hand. Shelby’s long-time nemesis (both vertically and horizontally) appears, is put in charge of their office, and the denouement is absolutely perfect. This is a gotta-read! It’s a 10+

STROLL THOSE STACKS!!!

Everything else in this blog is a book review, but for a change of pace I wanted to share a few thoughts. Obviously, based on the number of books reviewed here, I have no social life, never dust the furniture or clean the fridge, or wax the car (yeah, right), don't watch TV...books are where it's at for me. But scooping up the latest from the just-released shelves at the library (and at the rate I read, buying books is not possible) is kind of missing the point. So...next time you're at your public library, do what I do: take a stroll through the stacks and pick up an author you've never read or heard about before.
Here's a few of the authors I've "discovered" recently:
ROBERT HELENGA. I cannot praise this American author's idiosyncratic work enough. His characters just leap off the pages. He doesn't have a huge body of work but what I've read has been top quality, totally gripping, and all of it suitable for book clubs.
JOHN HART, reviewed in this blog, writes "Southern novels". His first was no fun, but then he picked up speed and if you can stand tales with absolutely no humor, where almost everyone is PTSD (or ought to be) and secondary characters are wierder than anything Janet Evanovich ever dreamed up, all of it set in the Carolinas, then Hart may be an author you'll want to read. He's a good writer, but an exhausting one.
STEVEN SAYLOR is not, technically, a recent find. I've read this historian/author for years, and enjoyed every single book. Hell, I've grown old along with Gordianus! The series is set in the time of Catilina, Sulla and Caesar. Read in series, you've got the perfect syllabus for an ancient Roman history course.
DONNA LEON deals with modern Italy in her series set in Venice (where Leon lives) and starring Guido Brunetti, police detective, husband and father. All characters are fully fleshed-out, and the mystery is always timely and compelling. And then there's fabulous Venice as backdrop. There is also a cookbook but I haven't read it yet.
NIGELLA LAWSON, speaking of cookbooks, Eat This is perfect for the mildly-challenged cook who is either phobic with any recipe over 8 ingredients, or is time-handicapped. There's recipe for a sticky toffee pudding in here that'll become a mainstay...at least until you joinWeight Watchers.
DOROTHY L. SAYERS, and you probably have already heard of her but she was news to me, was the British writer who revolutionized mysteries. Most of her work was first published in the 30's but it still is gripping today. Nine Tailors will hold you spellbound; Gaudy Nights will keep you up an entire weekend.
ROBERT CRAIS, kick-ass mysteries mostly set in California, many starring Elvis Cole and his silent but deadly sidekick Joe Pike. These guys are good, the action is non-stop, the plots intricate.
KAREN ROSE, award-winning romance author, spins seductive yarns chock full of suspense that'll keep you on the edge of your seat. Explicit sex scenes not included, but there's enough romance to satisfy.most love bugs.
This is nowhere near my complete list but it ought to keep you busy for a while...ciao...Lee.

THE SIXTEEN PLEASURES & THE ITALIAN LOVER, by Robert Helenga

Wow! What great books! I was browsing the stacks and came upon this author, and loved how the main character just leaped off the page. American Margot Harrington, a book restoration expert, goes to flood-devastated Florence to help recover the immense cache of almost-ruined art. The year is 1982. Margot has a brief fling with a selfish, nasty professor (who wear Harvard boxer shorts, yet), then enters a convent. Why? You must read this to find out. You will not be disappointed. It’s a 10+. The sequel, The Italian Lover, visits Margot twenty-five years later. She’s a respected book conservator (I love the passages dealing with this esoteric subject), still in Florence, about to embark on a new love affair and a life-changing association with a movie being made from (kind of) her memoir. Aside from a marvelous story, the individual journeys of all the characters, journeys many of us have taken perhaps without even knowing it, are beautifully, tenderly, exquisitely drawn. Another 10+; perfect for a book group.

COLD COMPANY, by Sue Henry

A Michener-style opening is, more often than not, boring. Not so with Henry’s first chapter, a perfect word portrait of Alaska’s wilderness near Wasilla (series pre-dates you-know-who). As a scene-setter, it’s outstanding. Alaskans love the outdoors in every season, and famed “musher” (dog team racer, which turns out is a year-round occupation) Jessie Arnold is enjoying the brief, beautiful summer when a skeleton is unearthed while digging the foundation for her new cabin. Other, newer, bodies begin to turn up, as do single red roses delivered to her Winnebago. This is book nine in a series, but it’s what I first scooped off the stacks, and now I’ve got to go back and read all of them. Great fun; perfect beach read. It’s an 8.

IRON HOUSE, by John Hart

You can’t beat Hart for a tough, often cruel, tale packed with really nasty characters, Southern novel. What makes a Southern novel? Beats me, but Hart’s debut book, The King of Lies – much praised by Pat Conroy as an example of the genre – was, to me, a turgid affair that would’ve made a great short story but drawn out to a novel was hard to get through. Hart’s fourth novel, however, is another beast entirely. Michael, a New York mob enforcer, wants out; his dying boss says yes, the boss’s son and his psychotic sidekick Johnny say no way. It’s war, sucking in Michael’s pregnant girlfriend, a prominent senator and his lovely wife, and Michael’s long-lost brother. But the cast of weird characters is only beginning, and the action and tension ratchet up almost exponentially. You'll stay up late to finish this! It’s a 9, a great, tough, read.

A MIST OF PROPHECIES, by Steven Saylor

Author Saylor is renowned for his life-long love of ancient Rome, and this book in the Roma Sub Rosa series is no exception. Gordianus the Finder, now in his old age, investigates the murder of a mad seeress Cassandra, with whom he has become entangled. Gordianus interviews the leading women of Rome (of whom barely a word was written about their lives while entire forests have perished to print Caesar’s, Cato’s and Pompey’s words). During the tense days when Caesar and Pompey battled for supremacy, he finds the murderer, and much more. A 10. www.stevensaylor.com

THE LAST CHILD, by John Hart

Another grim and gripping story by the master of  the “contemporary Southern bleak” genre, this one about the twisted, crumbling lives of the survivors of abducted twelve year-old Alyssa Merrimon. Johnny, her fraternal twin, is only one of several obsessed with finding her, including his mother and a strung-out cop. Hart is in that group of writers who won’t insert a single smile in his novels; be prepared to be exhausted and, at the end of the complicated tale, for a horrific surprise. It’s a well-worth-reading 8.

DJIBOUTI, by Elmore Leonard

The master and creator of the modern genre in which he writes, this convoluted tale follows Dara Barr and her 72 year old cameraman Xavier LeBo, a 6’6” hottie, as they film Somali pirates at work and play. Enter Billy Wynn, Texas millionaire with a curious fixation on a liquefied gas tanker, and his long-suffering girlfriend Helene. I’ve read better Leonard, but it’s still great. It’s an 8.

THE LAST JUDGEMENT, by Iain Pears

Another excellent Jonathan Argyll/Flavia di Stefano art mystery, this one set in Rome and Paris and London, involving the theft of a relatively worthless painting and the murder of its momentary owner. Art dealer and once-in-a-while sleuth Argyll must dig into the painful past, the Nazi occupation of France, to find the killer. Flavia di Stefano, tireless in her pursuit of art thieves, ties it all up. As always, all Pears’ characters are complex, with the human foibles that make for a rich plot. A 9.

RAN AWAY, by Barbara Hambly

A more than usually satisfying tale from this prolific and original writer. The latest in the Benjamin January saga (which begins with A FREE MAN OF COLOR), this complex tale takes us back to January’s many years in Paris, then to New Orleans where any free black man lives in fear of being forcibly taken as a slave. A Turkish nobleman January had known in Paris is accused of throwing his two concubines from a third-floor window. There is a white, therefore believable, witness, but January knows better. The cast of characters is big, the plot big, the story big. If you like historical fiction,, you will gobble up every bit of this marvelous series. A 10

BLEEDING HEARTS, by Ian Rankin

Assassin-for-hire Michael Weston must find out who breached the secrecy of his latest hit and alerted the London police, who arrived only moments after Weston had pulled the trigger. With an unpleasant, self-promoting American private detective dedicated to finding and killing Weston, hot on  their heels, Weston and his gun supplier’s daughter Belinda Harrison must find out why he was set up, and by whom. As always, Rankin delivers a tight, action-filled plot with some really interesting twists. An 8.

WITCH HUNT, by Ian Rankin

A beautiful young assassin – nicknamed Witch – has haunted Dominic Elder’s life since his daughter was killed in a bomb attack. Witch takes on a job in Scotland, but she always does double jobs: where is the next one, who is her target. Elder is called out of retirement to find the answer. As with all this award-winning author’s books, the plot and characters are complex, the ending dramatic. A 9.

A DEAD MAN IN TRIESTE, by Michael Pearce

Pearce, author of the Cairo-based Mamur Zapt series, introduces Seymour, the London-based inspector sent, by default, to Trieste to locate a vanished diplomat. The time is 1910, and the city, at the top of the Adriatic, is a mere bomb’s toss from Bosnia, Serbia, and a hornet’s nest of squabbling statelets from which will soon come World War One. As always, the characters are lively and interesting, the humor sly and gentle, the plot complex: anarchists, artists, secret police, the pomp of a uniform-ridden empire, aspiration political and personal. No serious violence, no obscenities, Seymour’s love life treated with discretion…a very pleasant read. A 9.

SWEET UTOPIA, by Sharon Valencik *COOKBOOK*

 No, this is not a romance title, although it is, in a way, a love letter: to desserts.This is more than just a vegan sweets book, it has conversion charts for us regular people, so you can make some fabulously pretty desserts. Her recipes for a variety of easy-fix crusts are perfect for the inept baker (that’s me), and the range of difficulty is from simple to you-can-do-it complex.. Instructions are clear and user-friendly and photos are excellent. The author/chef has put into your hands endless ways to delight your family and awe your friends. It’s a 10.

THE DAY I ATE WHATEVER I WANTED, by Elizabeth Berg

Subtitled “and other small acts of liberation”, this collection of short stories and essays is a delightful introduction to the author’s subtle, gentle, but emotionally forthright, style. This is not a beach read, but a late at night with a cup of hot chocolate kind of read. Truth, humor, and a well-tuned eye for the ridiculous pickles human can get into, the foods we eat (the title story is worth the entire book), and the loves we lost and can’t quite find again. A marvelous jewel box of little gems. A 10, maybe for the novelty of reading essays.

THE SHIFTING TIDE, EXECUTION DOCK, ACCEPTABLE LOSS, by Anne Perry

This trilogy-inside-a-series is Perry at her very best, with plenty of action, most based on a wealth of social ills that beset industrializing England in the Victoria era, and (happily, for me) not too much of the interior social dilemma dialogue at which the author is so adept. In the first, economic necessity forces William Monk to take a case on the river, unfamiliar territory. Hester, his wife, is busy with her clinic for street women in Portpool Lane, and is surprised to see Monk’s client bring a woman in for treatment. She is, he claims, a friend’s discarded mistress. While Hester deals with the unlikeable woman, Monk must find his way around the waterfront with the help of a mudlark (orphan who scavenges the fetid river mud) named Scuff. The plot takes a sudden and horrifying turn which Monk and Hester must solve. Execution Dock focuses on the booming Victorian trade in pornography and the ugly world of pedophiles. Acceptable Loss uncovers the mastermind behind the pornography/pedophile ring, destroys a long-standing friendship and perhaps a new marriage, and things return to normal…or do they? All are 8’s.

PAINTER OF BATTLES, by Arturo Perez-Reverte

This very dark and extremely dense story of a former war photographer, Antonio Faulques, who is visited by the subject of one of his first prize-winning photos, is no way to introduce yourself to the entrancing body of work of this internationally acclaimed novelist. His characters are always beautifully and subtly drawn, he draws out the development flawlessly, his action scenes are mesmerizing. Wish I liked this particular book more. But for an unsparing view of life photographing the worst man can do, which is what the author photographed for many years, this is your book.

HOUSE RULES, HOUSE SECRETS, HOUSE JUSTICE, by Mike Lawson

Senate investigator just-your-average-guy Joe DeMarco doesn’t quite fit the slick detective found in a lot of the political-thriller genre. Author Lawson keeps the plot tight and the action swift, first exposing a scheming politico, then  neutralizing a psychotic lawmaker, and then maybe finding Ms Right as he pursues a psychopathic Mafioso and a lot of political manipulators (or is that an oxymoron?). Everyone who should dies satisfactorily, and our hero gets the girl…or does he? They’re a 7.

THE ROSSETTI LETTER, by Christi Phillips

A good first novel of a shy modern researcher, long overdue to finish her dissertation, and her do-or-die visit to Venice. Romance and intrigue pile up almost at once, but the modern action is highlighted by well-drawn visits to the life of the courtesan the young American researches. This author will, without much doubt, go places. I'm waiting for the next work, hopefully still full of sexy Italians! An 8.

BITING THE MOON, by Martha Grimes

Grimes is one of my favorite British police procedural authors; her series starring Richard Jury and the folks at Long Piddleton are priceless. This tale, Biting the Moon, is about a coyote-rescuing teenaged girl on her own in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico, and her friendship with a well-to-do orphan in nearby Santa Fe. It’s impossible to fault the author’s storytelling skills, but the storyline itself felt completely unconvincing, and more a vehicle for a cruelty-to-all-animals rant. It’s a 6.

A DEATH IN VIENNA, by Frank Tallis

Quick: what’s Vienna noted for? Sigmund Freud, coffee houses and sachertorte, right? In this deeply-written tale you’ll get a lot of all of those plus intrigue, murder, deception, Sigmund Freud’s penchant for telling Jewish jokes, and a heart-rending look at the outwardly-pleasant, inwardly-nightmarish life of 19th century women. Be glad you live when you do! And be glad you can read such a well-founded, well-written novel; the author doesn't set a foot wrong. It’s a 10.

MURDER GETS A LIFE, by Anne George

A “Southern Sisters novel, with all the Alabam-ese you could possibly stand. Patricia Anne and Mary Alice, sniping siblings with more comebacks than a has-been movie comic, find themselves embroiled in a mess of weirdness when Mary Alice’s boy Ray gets hitched to beautiful Sunshine Dabbs. Her mother is a porn star, her meemaw and pawpaw (grandmother and grandfather to you non-southerners) live in adjacent trailers, and something is obviously rotten in the trailer park when a faux-Indian chief appears totally dead in meemaw’s kitchen. A daring escape through a roof vent caps it all off. I like stories that don’t end well for everyone; this fills the bill. It’s an 8.

HORSE HEAVEN, by Jane Smiley

The inimitable Smiley brings her awesome writing talent to the awesome and fascinating subject of horses, partuclarly thoroughbreds. And their owners, none of which are ordinary, and their “staff”. The horses’, not the owners’: grooms, riders, trainers, managers. Tracing it all through the lives of a group of horses, Smiley not only educates us about these sublime beasts, but about the world they inhabit and illuminate. It’s a big book, and worth every minute of its 561 pages of 8 point type. Horse Heaven is sheer heaven: 10+.

TENACIOUS, by Julian Stockwin

More sea adventures of Thomas Kydd, this time meeting Horatio Nelson and taking part in the cataclysmic Battle of the Nile, where an outgunned British fleet takes on the might of ascendant France off the coast of Egypt in a blazing battle. The historical research is flawless, the battle scenes are horrific, Kydd's efforts to become a gentleman are heart-rending, and the unending philosophical struggles of Nicholas Renzi are capped by a mortal sickness. This is the 6th book in the series; I am hooked. It's a 10.

WHERE SHADOWS DANCE, by C. S. Harris

WOW, what a series! Harris is not only a fine writer, but her to-the-ground knowledge of the period she writes about is flawless. The attitudes, the manners and mannerisms, all brought out with a marvelous subtelty that never intrudes on the story but serves to immerse you even deeper into the tale. Sebastian St. Cyr is once again brought into a murder-that-cannot-be-labelled when his good friend Dr. Gibson finds a cadaver (grave-robbed for anatomizing) that wasn't heart failure...at least in the medical sense. A stiletto wound at the base of the skull marks the deceased, a young Foreign Office rising star, as murdered. The brilliant and deadly Lord Jarvis, kingmaker and King's cousin, is once agin at odds with St. Cyr as our noble sleuth struggles to uncover the truth. And what of Miss Hero Jarvis, arrogant and independent? The plot continually develops and thickens! What a ride! A 10!

THE QUEENE'S CURE, by Karen Harper

Imagine the imperious, mercurial Elizabeth Tudor as sleuth: author Harper makes it believable in this 4th book in a very successful series. As with all skilful plots, this one isn't precisely what it seems, nor are many of the characters, all varied and fascinating. Harper has mastered the intriciacies of court life in the late 1500's, and we are treated to a number of interesting glimpses, including the Royal Wardrobe that was so enormous that it had to be separately housed in a former-monastery (near today's Blackfriar's Tube stop!). If period details absorb you, you'll love this series. It's an 8.

ANATOMY OF DECEPTION, by Lawrence Goldstone

1889 Philadelphis: an earnest young doctor, studying under a legendary teaching physician who offers to be his mentor, is swept into an intrigue involvng a dead young woman whose body vanishes from the morgue. As young Ephraim Caroll struggles to understand the circumstances, forces arrayed against him - from a seductive young heiress to waterfront toughs to ruthless millionaires - put his life and his future in jeopardy. In the end, his choices are devlishly difficult. An intricate plot, well told. It's an 8.

DEATH ON THE NEVSKII PROSPEKT and DEATH ON HOLY MOUNTAIN, by David Dickinson

I hate it when an author is not only talented but good lookin'...some people get all the breaks. Dickinson's talent is in, among other things, creating the elegant world in which Lord Frances Powerscourt and his lovely wife Lady Lucy, move so effortlessly. In Nevskii Prospekt, of course, the action is in St Petersburg, Russia, during the uncertain period before the Revolution. Dickinson perfectly portrays the gulf between the heedless and arrogant aristocracy and the starving, huddled masses, the beauty above and the incredible cruelty and ugliness that was beneath the glittery surface. In Holy Mountain, the endless Irish Question is brought to the fore as Powerscourt investigates seemingly innocuous theft of family portraits. The author has a great ear for dialect, puts his hero in the appropriate dicey situations, and never loosed control of his story. These two easy reads, part of a long series, are 8 (I wish the dialogue was stightly less stilted, but I guess that's how they spoke in the mid 1800's). Read them in order, with these it does matter.

SMOKIN SEVENTEEN, by Janet Evanovich

Better authors than the wildly successful Evanovich have succumbed to the lure of tossing in a lot of needless sex to jazz up a series; okay, that marks me as a sexually-oriented Andy Rooney, doesn't it? But Evanovich's nutso heroine, skip tracer Stephanie Plum, hops from one steamy encounter to another - once even with her ass riding on a car horn, sheesh! - while tryng to work off a curse from Bella the witch, and hoping wild gorilla sex will make up her mind which guy she loves more. After the debacle of #16, this does come as a pleasant surprise, as the plot actually is more than destroyed cars and Lula scarfing donuts, and the author's usual clutch of wildly wierd characters are interesting. Even the octogenarian vampire and the demented Lexus driver. Its a 7.

AN EVIL EYE, by Jason Goodwin

If you aren't reading this fascinating series of adventure of the fictional Ottoman sleuth Yashim, you are missing out: historian Goodwin plops you right in the middle of 19thC Istanbul: intrigue, betrayal, harems, assassins, good Bordeaux wines, violin playing and other music, and a complex, subtle royal mystery that starts with an infant being tossed from a burning house. While these books stand alone better than most, reading in order is encouraged.This series is, if you're fond of historical fiction with an intellectual flavor, perfection. A 10.