“U is for Undertow” by Sue Grafton

“U is for Undertow” by Sue Grafton. Imagine, A through U. That’s 21 novels Sue Grafton has written.

Kinsey Millhone is a gutsy private eye. It takes me back to when I was a little girl and read the Nancy Drew mysteries. Nancy was my hero, or I suppose heroine. Kinsey is the same. I really admire how she moves through life. I’ve seen her fall in love and out of love in the different books I’ve read. She isn’t an aluminum plated super-hero. She’s as normal and as warped as any of us is, but still, she’s got a courageousness that I admire. I haven’t read them all; just the ones that come my way. And, it really doesn’t matter if you hopscotch all over the alphabet to read her stories.

In this one an emotionally troubled young man has a flashback to when he was 6 years old and brings a case to Kinsey. He can only afford to pay her $500 for one day’s work. He’s read an account of an unsolved kidnapping that happened years before. Every year the town’s newspaper runs an article about how Mary Claire vanished and was never heard from again. When Michael Sutton reads the news article his troubled memory flashes on two men digging a hole. They told the little 6 year old boy they were pirates and were digging for treasure. Michael believed them then, but when he revisits that old memory he realizes it was around that time that Mary Claire disappeared.

And, so the story goes. You can get a good feel for how Kinsey takes all sorts of facts and finally puts the pieces together to make a plausible story.

Sue Grafton’s Alphabet novels aren’t just about the cases Kinsey Millhone takes on. They are about Kinsey too so that as you read more and more of them you get to know Kinsey, the character, in a way that makes her as memorable and as real as she must be to Sue Grafton.

I’m a writer, but I was a reader first and I always felt a sense of sadness as I waved goodbye to the characters I’d come to love in whatever book I was reading at the time. There was this sense of regret that I would never meet them again, so when I am able to latch onto a writer who can’t say goodbye to their people either my heart does a little happy dance and I curl up again with a good book.

“Survivor in Death” by JD Robb (Nora Roberts)

“Survivor in Death” by JD Robb (Nora Roberts)
2005, GP Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 0-399-15208-3

Sometimes you are just in the mood for hard, fast and thrilling. That’s what I can always count on when I pick up a book where Nora Roberts is writing as JD Robb.

A family is murdered in their beds. One was missed. Nixie is the daughter and she had invited her best friend in the world, Linnie, over for a sleep over. But, Nixie wanted an orange fizzy and Linnie didn’t want to get up. Nixie went by herself to the kitchen and that was when her world changed forevermore.

Murder was done to all the members of her family and to her best friend. Gone. Blood everywhere. Done in minutes. But, they didn’t see her. They weren’t looking for her. They took out the father, the mother, the housekeeper, the son and the daughter. Except the daughter was hiding, covered with her mother’s blood and instead her best friend had been murdered in her place.

Detective Eve Dallas takes the case and is sworn to both protect Nixie until the murderers are apprehended and find her a place to be in the world. Somehow it all got very personal as memories of the damage done to this family and to this small survivor of madness reminds both Dallas and her husband Roarke of the injustice they also experienced as children.

You get to see yet another side of Dallas, the people on the New York Police Force she works with and a tantalizing glimpse into the near future combined with tough crime fighting that will have you on the edge of your seat.

“Strangers in Death” by J.D. Robb

“Strangers in Death” by J.D. Robb
2008, G.P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 978-0-399-15470-6

It’s easy to pick up books in the library if you zoom right in on a favorite writer. J.D. Robb is Nora Roberts, but, as J.D. Robb she’s writing futuristic detective stories and the person who is the focal point of all of those stories is Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

It is the year 2060 in New York City and crime is the same there as it is in our own days. Motives just don’t change.

A man, prominent in the community, respected for his work dies in what appears to be a kinky sex session gone horribly awry.

You get to hang onto every twist and turn in the story as Eve, her husband Rourke, and her team of detectives search for motive and for a killer. This is a terrific story.

“The Mulberry Tree” by Jude Deveraux

“The Mulberry Tree” by Jude Deveraux
2002, Atria Books
ISBN: 0-671-01421-8

“The Mulberry Tree” by Jude Deveraux takes a wealthy woman, a protected and isolated woman named Lillian and turns her world upside down when her husband dies. She and her husband had loved each other and had a fairy tale marriage. Lillian’s husband Jimmie was one of the wealthiest men in the world, but he left his wife a ramshackle house to live in. The rest of his wealth went to his brother and sister.

This is a story of what happens to Lillian, who has to change her name and go into hiding to avoid the press and Jimmie’s siblings who would take from her even the falling down house. She has no interest in fighting the will and wants only to curl into a ball. But, there is a mystery here and gradually she finds out just what has been going on.

As Lillian comes back and makes a life for herself you will be fascinated to follow along.

We tend to think that people who have it all don’t need anything else. This story will show you something else.

I enjoyed “The Mulberry Tree” as I have other books I’ve read by Jude Deveraux.

“Oolong Dead” by Laura Childs

“Oolong Dead” by Laura Childs
2009, Berkeley Prime Crime
ISBN: 978-0-425-22599-8

“Oolong Dead” by Laura Childs is number ten in the Tea Shop Mysteries. I found myself entertained by Theo, short for Theodosa, a middle-aged lady who owns a tea shop. She is inevitably drawn into murder investigations. Turns out she’s done this before, but always as an amateur sleuth.

The eye of suspicion looks her way as she is the first to discover the body of a woman who didn’t have nice things to say to Theo. It also didn’t help that the dead lady in question was also the sister of Theo’s ex-boyfriend. Unraveling the stories people made up and uncovering the motives behind what they did takes up the pages of this book. You will be on edge even to the last pages. I enjoy a book like that.

Because Theo’s first interest is the tea shop there is great attention given to different teas they serve at the Indigo Tea Shop and the goodies they serve with the tea. Best of all is a collection of recipes at the end of the book.

You can’t go wrong where ever you start with this series. It’s like a wonderful Southern welcome from Theo and her friends as you join them in a good old fashioned whodunit.

“Together Alone” by Barbara Delinsky

“Together Alone” by Barbara Delinsky
1995, Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-171354-5

“Together Alone” by Barbara Delinsky centers in on the stories of three friends. These women are each faced with choices that require them to look at the most basic of life situations and once the decisions are made propel each of their lives in dynamic directions.

Emily and Doug’s daughter is going to college. Now, Emily’s attention turns toward her husband who has become a workaholic. At the heart of their relationship is a grievous ache that has never been solved or healed.

Kay is a teacher. She is involved in many activities related to school but is confused as her husband begins asking her to look at their relationship in a new way.

Celeste is a single mother. Her daughter, too, is going to college for the first time. With the need to totally focus upon her daughter no longer there she thinks that she would like to have a relationship. The question, though, is who?

This is a page turner you won’t want to put down. I enjoyed this book.

“First Impressions” by Jude Deveraux

“First Impressions” by Jude Deveraux
2005, Atria Books
ISBN: 978-0-7434-3714-1

I started it yesterday and finished it today. “First Impressions” by Jude Deveraux is a fast paced romantic mystery. I also like that the heroine and the heroes are getting along there and are solidly middle-aged.

It’s a terrific triangle of the heroine Eden Palmer and two, count them two heroes, Jared the FBI agent and Braddon the local lawyer.

Eden is bequeathed a very old house in North Carolina by a woman she hasn’t seen in years. But, the house doesn’t come to her peacefully. There is someone out there killing people and Eden finds herself being watched by the FBI.

The action is fast and furious at times. And to watch those two heroes vying for Eden’s favor and love is rather interesting. Lovely to have two men fawning over you at the same time whatever age you are.

It’s funny. It’s heart warming. It’s a really good story.

“Raisins and Almonds” by Kerry Greenwood

“Raisins and Almonds” by Kerry Greenwood
2007, Poisoned Pen Press
ISBN: 978-1-59058-168-1

This was a first time reading anything by Kerry Greenwood. “Raisins and Almonds” is part of a detective series featuring a lady named Phryne Fisher (pronounced Fry-knee). She is Australian and this story was set in the land down under.

It takes place in the days before World War II and gives an interesting view of those times. Phryne is a sort of a high society lady who rose from rough beginnings and who has a heart big enough to love and care for a great many people from all walks of life.

Into a Jewish neighborhood walks murder. The owner of a bookstore is accused of the crime. A man who is influential in the Jewish community approaches Phryne and asks her to find the killer and free the book mistress.

At the end of the book is a terrific bibliography and a glossary of Yiddish words. All my life I have known the word megillah. I never knew how to spell it. I just knew if you said, “The whole megillah” you meant the whole thing. In the glossary it is defined as: the whole long tale. I never knew it was a Yiddish word.

I will read Kerry Greenwood again. She is a prolific writer with 16 (so far) books in the Phryne series and over 40 novels written in total.

“White Lies” by Jayne Ann Krentz

“White Lies” by Jayne Ann Krentz
2007, G.P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 0-399-15373-X

“White Lies” by Jayne Ann Krentz is an Arcane Society Novel. This story is centered around people who have natural psychic senses that are more developed than the rest of us.

Clare Lancaster is the heroine. Clare’s special psychic talent is that she can tell when people are telling lies. Jake Salter is the hero. His special psychic talent is that he is called a hunter. Together the two of them get involved when Clare goes to visit her father and his family.

The thing is, is that Clare’s mother and her father had a one night stand together and Clare was born as a result of that meeting. Her father did not even realize she was alive until Clare showed up. Right away Clare realized that her sister Elizabeth was in a world of trouble. From that moment on people dropped left and right.

This is a mystery trying to find out who is killing all these people.

If you read this one I wish you as much enjoyment as I experienced.

“The Perfect Poison” by Amanda Quick

“The Perfect Poison” by Amanda Quick
2009, G.P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 978-0-399-15580-2

“The Perfect Poison” by Amanda Quick. Brisk. Perky. Lovely psychic stuff. Mystery. Love with the unlikeliest of people. Handsome and yet not too handsome, beautiful and yet not the fashion at all. These are all elements of the stories by Amanda Quick. But, when she signs her name as Amanda you’ve got a mystery set in the 1800’s.

Lucinda Bromley has the ability to be able to detect poison. She occasionally helps the police with cases, but she herself is viewed with horror by polite society. This is because her father was accused of killing his business partner and then committing suicide. Then, her fiancé was poisoned and it was commonly felt that she did the poisoning. She didn’t do the dastardly deed, but that is beside the point. Society thinks she did.

The bad trouble starts when she detects a very rare fern stolen from her greenhouse several months earlier had been used in a poison used to kill someone in high society. She told the police officer she works with that the person had been poisoned. What she didn’t tell him was that she suspected that the poison might have been made from her stolen fern.

Lucinda went to Jones Psychic Detective Agency and hired Caleb Jones to help her track down her fern and then to find a murderer. When Lucinda and Caleb meet the sparks begin to fly.

The psychic stuff comes in with a bunch of stories called The Arcane Society Novels. I love when the heroine doesn’t understand the subtleties just like they can often fly by me occasionally. Still, at the age of 54, I can learn from these characters on how to bounce back with aplomb from a faux paus.

It’s not just a story. It’s a box of chocolates.

“Death goes on Retreat” by Sister Carol Anne O'Marie

“Death goes on Retreat” by Sister Carol Anne O'Marie
1995, Delacorte Press
ISBN: 0-385-31047-1

I’ve always been a great fan of the religious. Once upon a time I aspired to be one, but those were girlhood dreams and were a long time ago. My husband and I have been married over 30 years and I morphed in my middle age into a psychic, so, presumably I am as far away from being a nun as I could possibly be. But, that doesn’t mean I can’t still be a fan.

This is a mystery with nuns at the center of the tale. It’ called, “Death goes on Retreat” and it was written by Sister Carol Anne O’Marie. A co-worker told me about her because she had recently passed on in May of 2009. She helped to co-found and run a homeless shelter for women in Oakland called A Friendly Place. Sister was from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet religious order.

Central to “Death goes on Retreat” is Sister Mary Helen who is an elderly nun on retreat who somehow becomes involved in a murder investigation. While the detectives come to investigate Sister Mary Helen and her friend Sister Eileen begin their own investigation. They have already gained a bit of notoriety as sleuths in another murder and so know how to ask the right questions.

The story lets you peek into the lives of the clergy, the priests and nuns in the story. It also shines with love and compassion. It’s one of those books to read when you’ve grown tired of sirens and serial killers and mass murder.

Curl up and pick up one of Sister O’Marie’s books. She wrote 11 of them. Your library should have at least one of them for you to read. Mine did.

“Straight Into Darkness” by Faye Kellerman

“Straight Into Darkness” by Faye Kellerman
2005, Time Warner Book Group
ISBN: 0-446-53040-9

Tell me a story and I’ll be interested. Tell me a story by Faye Kellerman and I’m riveted. “Straight Into Darkness” takes place in Munich, Germany just before Hitler came to power.

The story focuses upon Axel Berg who is a police detective and a number of murders he is trying to solve. What is interesting is to see how the German people are reacting to Hitler’s rise; how many agree with him and his hate and how many of them can’t abide him or his views. This gives you the advantage of seeing history unfold before your very eyes and all you want to do is to say to the people in the story, “Don’t take anything for granted. Treasure your loved ones. There is worse coming.” This story also provides a sharp elbow jab to your side about how complacency can be the best thing a despot could hope for.

Not only is this a really good who-done-it, “Straight Into Darkness”, is a very secret look into the soul of a people on the abyss of something very much worse than a serial killer.

"Promises in Death" by JD Robb

"Promises in Death" by JD Robb

2009, GP Putnam's Sons

ISBN: 978-0-399-15548-2

Dallas, Lt Eve. It doesn’t take long until you are understanding cop speak in the year 2060….way into the future where cars go straight up when you want to get somewhere quickly.

These are series books and this one is, “Promises in Death”. The misery here is the DB (dead body) is a policewoman. She is not all that well known to Eve, but her murder falls to Eve to solve.

Morris, who is the chief medical officer was Amaryllis Coltraine’s sweetheart and he is a friend of Eve’s. To help him handle the grieving Eve invites him to help solve the mystery and put Amaryllis’ killer behind bars. In fact, for a woman who doesn’t mingle well and who doesn’t feel comfortable with lots of people she has a great number of them to help her with solving this crime.

Even is you’ve not read any of these books before J.D. Robb draws you into the group of characters in this book, many who will be in the other Death books. There’s a whole slew of them so if you end up liking these (some do and some don’t…I definitely do!) you’re set for a large collection of books to plow through. On the book jacket it said J.D. Robb, a pseudonym for Nora Roberts, has written 150 books. I can’t even imagine that. She’s got to do it in her sleep!

Good story. Goes quickly. I was done in 2 days. Eat books.

“Finger Lickin' Fifteen” by Janet Evanovich

“Finger Lickin' Fifteen” by Janet Evanovich
2009, St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 98-0-312-38328-2

I don’t often buy the books I read. I sort of ran out of room to store them and then I ran out of book money. Mostly, lately anyway, I get them from the Dimond branch of the Oakland Public Library or from the little library at the Curves I go to in the Dimond. This one, though, I flat out bought new. I was over at Luann’s book store, across the street from where I live. She keeps about one copy of everything. But, this just jumped out at me from where it was on the shelf and I didn’t even have to think twice about waiting for it to come out in paperback. No, I must have it even at top dollar which was $27.95

I’ve read all of the Stephanie Plum books. Each one is fabulous and this was no exception. Stephanie is currently on the outs with Morrelli and the smokin that’s going on with Ranger is exceptional. Lula witnesses what looks like a mob hit and from that moment on they’re after her. She sticks close by Stephanie and, as usual, it’s like Lucille Ball on wheels. I even read half a page to a co-worker at lunch today. Her eyes got real big. Now, I’m going to lend the book to her and I’m betting they’ll get a lot bigger.

If you have never read one of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels go read one now. It doesn’t have to be this one. It could be any of the previous fourteen. I believe I started with number five when I first started reading them. These are so good that I will often read them more than once. It’s sort of like a chocolate attack. Nothing will do but chocolate and sometimes nothing will do but some huge laughs with Stephanie Plum.

“Lavender Morning” by Jude Deveraux

“Lavender Morning” by Jude Deveraux
2009, Atria Books
ISBN: 978-0-7434-3720-2

I have two great things I love to do. I eat and I read. Today I almost ate this book. “Lavender Morning” is a huge romantic mystery. I can’t tell you the end because that might spoil the book for you, but I can tell you that you’re not going to be able to put this one down.

At the heart of it is a gentile old woman named Edi and a young girl named Jocelyn. Edi takes Jocelyn under her wing when Joce was about 10 years old. Joce’s family doesn’t pay too much attention to her anyway, so they don’t miss the time she spends with Miss Edi. The love these two have for each other is endearing.

And, then the old woman dies. And, in her will she leaves something of extraordinary value to Joce.

Read this book to see how a lonely and grieving young woman can follow the last wishes of an older woman to find her destiny.

“Innocent in Death” by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)

“Innocent in Death” by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)
2007, GP Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 978-0-399-15401-0

I think this is the second novel I’ve read by Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb. Central to the story is Lieutenant Eve Dallas. She is a cop in the future. I think about 2060 or so.

In “Innocent in Death” Eve with her trusty second in command, Peabody, get a case where a teacher has been murdered in a trendy private school. As the clues are discovered it seems that the killer is in plain view. Except, then he is killed.

And, the questions move forward: Who is the real killer?

What is interesting to me are the other characters in the book. Lieutenant Dallas’ husband Rourke who appears to have a mysterious past. There’s an old flame of his who pops on the scene to create problems between husband and wife. There are other characters who come into the novel who obviously have had greater roles in other books. There’s a whole bunch of them with Lieutenant Dallas and I’m looking forward to reading them. I hope you might give one of the futuristic mystery novels by Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb a try.

“Nightshade” by Susan Wittig Albert

“Nightshade” by Susan Wittig Albert
2008, Berkley Publishing Group
ISBN: 98-0-425-21956-0

This is the 16th book in the China Bayles mystery series. China used to be an attorney, but when she decided to leave that field she decided to center in on her love of herbs and opened a shop called, “Thyme and Seasons”. Her husband, McQuaid, is an ex-policeman turned private investigator. The two make a formidable team.

In this story China and McQuaid are launched into a terrible mystery to find out why her brother Miles has just been killed. The whole story reaches back years and years to when her father had also died. Her father’s death had been ruled an accident, but the information Miles had recently uncovered pointed to much more than just an accident.

The pace is quick, China is quirky and I think you will like this story.

“A is for Alibi” by Sue Grafton

“A is for Alibi” by Sue Grafton
1987, Bantam
ISBN: 0-553-27991-2

Hi. I just finished reading “A is for Alibi” by Sue Grafton. Kinsey Millhone, intrepid detective in her first alphabet mystery. I was so pleased to see this in the library because I had despaired of ever getting my hands on it.

The reason I wanted to read the first one is that I am a Virgo. We like to do things in an orderly fashion. Nowadays you can go into the store and pick up Sue Grafton’s books farther, way farther down the alphabet. For instance, the latest one is “T is for Trespass”. I’ve read a few of the others and from the first one I read Kinsey Millhone has captivated me.

She is everything I am not. She’s brave. She’s no nonsense. And, then to prove she’s not super human she’s got foibles just like the rest of us. But, she is one smart detective lady.

In this first book I thought I might be seeing the unfolding of Kinsey, the beginnings, the first time in a story. I was surprised. Sue Grafton shot Kinsey right into the action. Kinsey was the same character who appears in all the other books; the same smart lady, the same funny to the bone lady, the same soft-hearted lady. And, I was pleased. No surprises there.

“A is for Alibi” had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it. Moving from one hint to another, with danger lurking in many places, Kinsey wrapped it up.

In a nutshell and not giving away the ending? Nikki served an eight year sentence in prison for a crime she didn’t do. She has been released and went to Kinsey to ask her to find the real killer. There were a great many people who didn’t feel it worthwhile to dig into this crime again, especially the real killer. Danger at every turn. I think you might like this one. I sure did.

By the way, the kitty in the picture is Sheba. She is our neighbor Phil's cat, but she also spends time at our place.

“The Perfect Summer” by Luanne Rice

“The Perfect Summer” by Luanne Rice

2003, Bantam Books

ISBN: 0-7394-3708-9

“The Perfect Summer” by Luanne Rice is an engaging story with endearing characters. And, for those Action Jackson types there’s mystery and danger involved too.

This is a story about two families who have each undergone terrible tragedies, people who were linked in the far, far away past and who return to each other in the present. I know I’m dancing around the point here, but if you’re into romance, if you’re into mystery, if you’re into what goes on in the minds of kids read this book. I enjoyed it so much that I just couldn’t hardly stand to put it down.

Luanne Rice wrote a good one.

“N is for Noose” by Sue Grafton

Yow. I just finished reading “N is for Noose” by Sue Grafton. Kinsey Millhone, our intrepid private investigator is doing a favor for a fellow private eye who is unable to take a case. Selma is hiring Kinsey to find out what was on her husband’s mind in the weeks before his death. He’d died of an apparent heart attack and Selma said that Tom was worried during those last weeks.

Tom was well liked in the little sleepy town of Nota Lake in the high country of the Sierras in California. He was a police detective. But, the strange thing is that every time Kinsey turned around people just did not want to talk to her.

There is a rhythm to the way many people write and I can be assured of a very nice, soothing rhythm when I read any of the Kinsey Millhone stories. But, when the action picks up it goes 98 miles an hour. I almost screamed when my husband asked me where the ding donged magnifying glass was when I was on the last page of the book.

I think you’ll enjoy yourself if you read this book, or, actually, any of the alphabet mysteries featuring Kinsey Millhone. By the way the picture I took is me holding the book in question and my smallest cat, Shelby, playing with the bookmarker.