Seventy-Seven Steps by Christopher Fowler

3rd in the Bryant & May Mystery series

Set in 1973, we learn the details how the pair first joined Scotland Yard's Peculiar Crimes Unit. The murders Bryant and May investigate more than fit the unit's mission to handle cases outside the norm—an elderly lawyer is found poisoned in a hotel lobby, apparently from a snake bite, while other victims are killed by toxic makeup and a starved tiger. The odd sleuthing couple find that these terrifying crimes are all connected with the strange Whitstable family, whose Victorian patriarch founded a bizarre group called the Alliance of Eternal Light.

This interesting series has a much darker Sherlock Holmes feel as the pair deal with mysteries with supernatural aspects.

Bk 1: Full Dark House
Bk 2: Water Room

Not a Girl Detective by Susan Kandel

Cece Caruso Mystery series
Sequel to I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason

Writing biographies of dead mystery authors tends to land her in odd situations, and, as she researches Carolyn Keene, the fictitiously named author of the Nancy Drew books, she is drawn into the murder of a wealthy collector of series memorabilia. Cece has something that the killer wants; while trying to figure out what it is, she finds herself crossing paths with several people who stand to gain from the victim's death. The characters are deliciously drawn, the pace is snappy, and the plot twists and turns will keep mystery lovers satisfied. As entertaining as Cece and the other characters are, the icing on the cake is the depth of Kandel's research. Readers who enjoyed following the teen sleuth's adventures will appreciate the insight into the history of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the organization responsible for producing numerous children's series. Kandel provides an informative glimpse into 1930s and 1940s book publishing, introducing Mildred Wirt Benson, the author of 22 of the first 25 Nancy Drews; Russell Tandy, the illustrator of the early covers; and Grace Horton, the professional model who was her face. The author blends fact and fiction with assurance, using these real people to set up a plot that ultimately involves Salvador Dali's art.

Books are great fun especially for fans of Nancy Drew or children's mysteries.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Shopping addict and financial writer Becky Bloomwood works for Successful Savings, a second-rate trade magazine. Becky, for whom saving is a concept for other people, relieves the tedium of meaningless work with giddy sprees she can ill afford. As her debt grows ever more unmanageable, Becky's self-justifying obbligatos become ever more shrill, and her white lies turn steadily darker. In one self-delusional attempt to find a better paying job, she bolsters her resume with fluency in Finnish, only to come face to face with the CEO of the Bank of Helsinki. But when Becky gets her teeth into a real news story, she discovers her limits are far greater than she had imagined.

Meanwhile, perky flatmate Suze, the daughter of fabulously rich and indulgent parents, is little help, although she does fix Rebecca up with her equally wealthy cousin, Tarquin Cleath-Stuart. Dreaming wistfully of marrying money, Rebecca tries to impress the dull but sincere Tarquin by inventing a charity that provides violins for impoverished children in Mozambique—and is mortified when he immediately makes a donation of five thousand pounds, scribbling a cheque that she has to return. But there's another man in her future: handsome Luke Brandon, a financial genius who devised a fund-switching scheme that seems to have deprived her parents' neighbors—a well-meaning but slightly dotty old couple—of their nest egg.

My co-worker loves this series so I thought I would give it a try. Fun, but the characters really don't make me want to read more in the series. I would rather read Bridget Jones Diary books instead.

Heartshot by Steven Havill

Septuagenarian undersheriff of Posadas County, N.M., Bill Gastner is widowed, his kids are grown and gone. A chronic insomniac, he rattles around his empty house, eats too much and smokes too much. The one thing he genuinely cares about is the little town of Posadas, New Mexico and its inhabitants. These days, he's worried that the newly elected Posadas sheriff has an agenda that includes pushing Bill towards early retirement and is understandably touchy about suggestions that he might be slowing down.

A Fourth of July town celebration turns to tragedy when a carful of teenagers speeds up to evade a police cruiser, loses control and goes over a cliff. While working the scene of the accident, Gastner and Posadas' lone detective, a female no less, Estelle Reyes, discover a package of drugs amongst the wreckage. How did it get there? Which one of the upstanding kids might have had something to do with drugs? Posadas is close enough to the Mexican border that Gastner is not surprised by the presence of drugs in his town, but thought he had a better understanding of the town's youth. Is he losing his touch?

The townspeople are naturally upset, accusations fly and one of the bereaved parents has bought a gun. When the Sheriff suggests putting a young unknown officer undercover in the high school, Gastner has no better idea and reluctantly agrees. The situation quickly deteriorates and another senseless death occurs. Gastner feels personally responsible, neglects his health in pursuit of answers and ultimately puts his own life on the line. We see him suffer from a mild heart attack during the investigation and his determination to see the case to the end, even if he doesn't make it.

I wasn't sure if I would like this book or the series as he seems like your stereotypical overweight police guy. I'm glad that I gave it more than a few chapters as it got quite good as it progressed. The author writes about a character who is very passionate about his town and the people who live there. It felt very believable, even though the ending was a bit out there. But a creative way to kill off people. I also appreciated that there was no romance between him and the only female detective on the force.

Now I want to read more and see how the character develops and hopefully makes some changes in his physical health. I'm glad that this is a big series so it gives me a chance to catch up.

Bad News by Donald Westlake

John Dortmunder and his gang of lowlifes from the back room of the O.J. Bar and Grill. Andy Kelp, Tiny Bulcher and the Murches (Stan and Mom) join Dortmunder horn in on another crew's scam cheating two Native American tribes out of one-third of the take from a lucrative Indian casino in upstate New York. Fitzroy Guilderpost, mastermind of the con (and a memorable Westlake creation one hopes to see again), has enlisted Little Feather Redcorn, a Las Vegas card dealer and showgirl, to pose as the last living member of an extinct tribe with a claim to the casino. Unknown to the schemers, the casino managers have been cooking their books and will go to any length to avoid sharing the wealth. As the foes switch dead Indians from grave to grave, seeking to prove or deny Little Feather's tribal membership, Dortmunder plots an impossible and hilarious robbery using a blizzard as an accessory, and comes up with the usual mixed results.

Another hysterical addition to the Dortmunder collection of books. His books always make my day.

Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich



Lucky #13 in this fun and hilarious series. This time around Stephanie is reunited with her two-timing lawyer ex-husband, Dickie Orr, while doing a favor for the mysterious, sexy Ranger. Noticing a recent photo of Dickie with her arch nemesis, Joyce Barnhardt, (aka fluzie he had an affair with while they were still married) and it looks like they are now dating. But when Dickie disappears from his house leaving behind only bloodstains and bullet holes, Plum becomes the main suspect in her ex-husband's disappearance; mainly because she attacked him in his office, again. But this time everyone thinks he has been murdered and Stephanie is prime suspect #1. Now Joyce is after Stephanie, especially when Dickie's unchanged will surfaces making Stephanie the heir to his estate, valued at over $40 million.



Determined to clear her name, Plum and her on-again off-again Trenton cop boyfriend, the irresistible Joe Morelli, uncover Dickie's ties to a shady group of men involved in everything from money laundering to drug running. And when Dickie's jilted business partners decide Stephanie holds the key to the $40 million they believe Dickie stole from them, she's in for a wild ride.



Grandma is still around going attending the various funeral viewings. Lola seems to have changed her hoing ways and is focused on one man - Tank! Thankfully we see nothing of Stephanie's sister and her family. They were really annoying me in the last few books. Some new parole violators, a taxidermist with a penchant for bombs to a grave-robbing tax man life is never dull in the burbs.

Happy 4th of July!

Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Death meets the book thief, a 9-year-old girl named Liesel Meminger, when he comes to take her little brother, and she becomes an enduring force in his life, despite his efforts to resist her. As Death lingers at the burial, he watches the girl, who can't yet read, steal a gravedigger's instruction manual. Thus Liesel is touched first by Death, then by words, as if she knows she'll need their comfort during the hardships ahead.

And there are plenty to come. Liesel's father has already been carted off for being a communist and soon her mother disappears, too, leaving her in the care of foster parents: the accordion-playing, silver-eyed Hans Hubermann and his wife, Rosa, who has a face like "creased-up cardboard." Liesel's new family lives on the unfortunately named Himmel (Heaven) Street, in a small town on the outskirts of Munich populated by vivid characters: from the blond-haired boy who relates to Jesse Owens to the mayor's wife who hides from despair in her library. They are, for the most part, foul-spoken but good-hearted folks, some of whom have the strength to stand up to the Nazis in small but telling ways.

Stolen books form the spine of the story. Though Liesel's foster father realizes the subject matter isn't ideal, he uses "The Grave Digger's Handbook" to teach her to read. Reading opens new worlds to her; soon she is looking for other material for distraction. She rescues a book from a pile being burned by the Nazis, then begins stealing more books from the mayor's wife. After a Jewish fist-fighter hides behind a copy of Mein Kampf as he makes his way to the relative safety of the Hubermanns' basement, he then literally whitewashes the pages to create his own book for Liesel, which sustains her through her darkest times. Other books come in handy as diversions during bombing raids or hedges against grief. And it is the book she is writing herself that, ultimately, will save Liesel's life.

Death recounts all this mostly dispassionately -- you can tell he almost hates to be involved. His language is spare but evocative, and he's fond of emphasizing points with bold type and centered pronouncements. Death, like Liesel, has a way with words. And he recognizes them not only for the good they can do, but for the evil as well. What would Hitler have been, after all, without words? As this book reminds us, what would any of us be?

This book took me almost a week to read. I kept going back and re-reading passages. I didn't want the book to end and cried during the final chapters. It is a lovely thought provoking book. Wow.