A Dead Red Oleander

A Dead Red Oleander, by R. P. Dahlke; is both funny, and serious, an altogether good read. In this book, Lalla Bains, an aero-ag pilot (crop duster) seems to find her way into more than a field of pesky bugs. At the opening of A Dead Red Oleander we find Lalla in a sizzling, hot, cotton field, laying underneath her Dad's old pickup, handcuffed to the frame. So, what's up with that? That's what a California State Trooper wants to know.


Backtracking reveals events happening fast and furious, starting with a newly hired pilot, with the unlikely name of Dewey Treat, dying without preamble at Lalla's prenuptial hot dog roast.  Did the wife kill him with a poisonous oleander stick? Why did Mad Dog, the other aero-ag pilot, bring a stranger to that party? And, what did the stranger know about the dead man?

Lalla takes it on herself to find out the secrets that surround the dead Dewey Treat; and the wife who isn't what she seems.  It leads her into a frantic fracas of car wrecks, attempted kidnapping, dead bodies, and explosions. Sharing her harrowing adventures is wedding guest, Cousin Pearlie, a crack pilot with a penchant for romance. Did I mention she carries a gun?  Add an eccentric Texas Granny, a grumpy Dad, his goat, Billy, and his girlfriend Shirley. Mix it up with a Federal agent, and don't forget the bridegroom, Caleb, who just happens to be the county sheriff.  He's not only interested in solving the tangle of who's killing whom, and why, he's struggling to keep Lalla alive long enough to be his bride.

It's safe to say, if you like Janet Evanovich, you'll love R.P. Dahlke.  It's the same breezy, quick action style, with unforgettable characters and a strong, female lead. Only I personally think Lalla Bains has a little more going for her than Stephanie Plum. Just my opinion.

For more about this author and a list of her other books visit - http://rpdahlke.com/

London Calling: A Susanna and the Spy Novel

London Calling by Anna Elliott is the second installment of the Susanna and the Spy Novels. If you are into light Regency Romance, with a little mystery mixed in, then this is the book for you. 

Susanna Ward, in 1809, is engaged to marry Lord James Ravenwood. It's an ideal match and Susanna waits, impatiently, for James to return to her uncle's estate, Rutherford Hall, to complete the wedding plans. She receives, instead, 'two' letters. One from James, postmarked from his estate in Derbyshire, declaring his undying love. The other, from Aunt Sophia, who informs her niece that she has just seen her finance, James, flirting openly with a very beautiful, notorious woman at Almack's in London.

Susanna is not a woman to sit around and stew over what is, or isn't true, and makes a deal with another aunt, Ruth Maryvale, to accompany her to London so she can discover what's amiss.  From the moment they alight in the City perplexing events begin to take place.  Susanna's first glimpse of her betrothed is one of him aiding in a robbery with a band of French rogues. As the plot deepens Susanna and Aunt Ruth find themselves entangled in a nefarious network of spies and scoundrels.

This book is a fun read if you don't mind stretching the imagination.  A single woman, gadding about London unescorted, and in the finery of the day sets about aiding her beloved in his plot to foil foes of the King. Climbing trees, creeping down dirty alleyways, flirting with dangerous men - can it get any better?

The Ghosts of Lovely Women

Is it possible for teachers to influence basic beliefs of their students? The obvious answer is - yes. When an excellent English teacher like Theodora (Teddy) Thurber introduces Henrik Isben's play 'A Doll's House' to a brilliant, but impressionable young student, Jessica Halliday, the results take a bizarre and dangerous turn. Nora Helmer, the main character in the play, is caught up in a typical 19th Century marriage where her husband views her as a second class citizen.  Jessica takes this perceived abuse to heart and dedicates herself to being the instrument of 'Nora's Revenge'. When Jessica is found strangled to death in her car a channel of events spiral into a tense and dramatic mystery. What clever idea was revealed on Jessica's website? Would Jessica's cryptic clues lead Teddy and the police to the killer?  And, was the most crushing clue found in the home of Derek Jonas, a trusted friend of Teddy?


Ghosts of Lovely Women, by Julia Buckley, is a book of merit, not only for its entertainment value but for its thought-provoking theme.  It strikes a point that young people really do care.  That they can be independent thinkers and solve complicated riddles of adult life. The light romance that intertwines this book is wonderfully created. Teddy's beagle dog, P.G., adds touches of home-like humor, and, if you are a reader like me, the many references to great literature, from Shakespeare to Dostoyevsky's 'Crime and Punishment' is an added welcome bonus!

Maids of Misfortune - A Victorian San Francisco Mystery

Annie Fuller is a business woman in an era where that is more of a liability than an asset. Raised an only child, tutored, by her adoring father, in the matter of stocks, bonds and other annuities, Annie married a weak and controlling man who robbed her of her inheritance, and in keeping with his character, committed suicide. 


After inheriting her aunt's home in San Francisco the young widow established a boarding house. It didn't, however, provide her enough income. Her training as a stock broker was laughable in the very male world of 1879, so, when a wealthy roomer suggested that she become 'Madame Sibyl' a clairvoyant adapt in business transactions, she donned a black wig, designated a small parlor in her boarding house, and placed an advertisement of her talents.


When her favorite client, Matthew Voss, is found dead of an apparent suicide, Annie is not content with that verdict, especially when all his money and stocks are missing. Her first visitor, after the death, is a young attorney named Nate Dawson who immediately assumes that Annie and Matthew's relationship was more of a physical one than business, since he named her in his will. Part of the fun in this light-hearted mystery is the constant collisions of will between Annie and Dawson. Annie is forward thinking - Nate a conservative, easily shocked male of his century. 


So, was it suicide, or just plain murder? And, where was the Voss money? Was the misunderstood son, the beautiful wife, the ever-suffering sister, or the uppity ladies maid, involved in nefarious activities?  And just where did Voss's partner, a man about town, fit into all this? Annie, with help from her boarders and personal staff,  devise a plan to find out who's doing what in the Voss household; much to the chagrin of young Dawson. 


In Maids of Misfortune, M. Louisa Locke has created a lively, cozy tale of Victorian mayhem with enough dangerous situations to keep you involved. Glimpses of San Francisco, in the late 1800's, are skillfully embedded in the action. A thoroughly pleasant read, followed by a sequel titled Uneasy Spirits.

The Bungalow

The Bungalow by Sarah Jio is not a traditional mystery, although there is a murder and many mysterious elements to ponder.

The book begins with a letter, nearly lost in a stack of unsolicited mail.  It’s addressed to Mrs. Anna Godfrey, a woman in her seventies.  Anna, no stranger to reoccurring memories, is suddenly swamped with a deluge of regrets and suppressed dark secrets when she sees the origin of the letter; Tahiti.  For over 50 years Anna Calloway Godfrey has returned again, again, in her mind, to the beautiful tropical island of Bora Bora and the deserted, hidden, bungalow on the sundrenched beach. 

 

 In 1942, young Anna, and her best friend, Kitty, leave the comfort of home to serve as Army nurses at a base on Bora Bora.  There begins an engaging, twisted tale of love; love for Gerald, Anna’s childhood sweetheart, and love for Westry Green, a handsome solider.  It’s a story about misplaced trust, guilt, and following one’s heart despite the consequences.   

Is it ever too late for lost love?  Too late to bring justice to a criminal?  Only a trip, with granddaughter Jennifer, back to the isle of her memories can answer these questions.  Does the romantic artist’s bungalow still stand? Will its secret mailbox hold the key to closure for Anna, Kitty, and Westry? 

Despite Sarah Jio’s reliance on sometimes far-fetched coincidences The Bungalow is worth the read.  If you have ever thought about paths not taken; words not spoken; secrets kept-and what would have happened ‘if’. . .then this book is for you.

Murder in the 11th House

Murder in the 11th House, by Mitchell Scott Lewis, is more than a mystery novel. It's a work of fiction skillfully woven in intricate patterns from the science of Astrology.  It also provides a thought provoking link to political and social woes of the world of 2011.



The book, standing alone, is well plotted with just the right amount of 'is she innocent?' or 'is she guilty'? Did the mouthy, crusty, young barmaid, who calls herself 'Johnny' Colbert, hate Judge Farrah Winston enough to blow her and her car into infinite pieces? Johnny certainly had the skill and knowledge, as well as the motive. Her pro bono attorney, Melinda Lowell, just happens to be the daughter of David Lowell, famed astrologer and owner of the Starlight Detective Agency. Together they call on the 'stars', as in astrological signs, to solve the murder and in doing so put themselves and their employees in grave danger.

The characters in the book are well crafted. I especially liked David Lowell, some of his qualities reminiscent of  the famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. His fastidiousness, manner of dress, eating habits, and razor sharp intuitiveness spoke of Christie's creation in a modern setting.


I was amazed at how much knowledge can be gleaned from a person's birth chart. The book, Murder in the 11th House, has interesting sidelines regarding the lottery, and the general well-being of our nation. It also has a humanitarian quality rare in works of fiction. Well worth the read-for the information on astrology, and for the storyline. I'm looking forward to the next book in this new series.

When Pigs Fly

When Pigs Fly, by Bob Sanchez,  is the most unorthodox book I've ever read. I'm not referring to the religious connotations of unorthodox, but to the fact that the book is totally unconventional. It's hysterically funny and at the same time truly disgusting.


The 'Mystery' hinges on a lottery ticket and ceramic urn filled with a dead man's ashes. The villain, Diet Cola, is every person's worst nightmare. A horrible slob, without an ounce of conscience. The characters that cross his path are a outlandish group. Ace and Frosty, two Abbott and Costello criminals, do have a conscience although it doesn't always get in the way of their petty crimes. Elvis Hornacre believes he is the real 'King' (Elvis Presley) and dresses accordingly. He literally lets it all hang out. Calliope Vrattos is a former barmaid with a purse full of common but potentially lethal weapons, like a hairbrush and tampons. Carrick and Brodie Durgin are a slightly-senile geriatric couple going blithely through life, aiding and abetting even wounded criminals, while their son, Mack Durgin, retired cop, seems to be one of the more sane people occupying the pages of the book. Mack does, however, talk to his dead friend's ashes and has an unfortunate one-night-stand with someone he visualizes as Mae West. Her boyfriend, called Zippy, because he has a zipper tattooed over his brain, takes exception and - well - it all comes together in one rollicking, fascinating wedding adventure atop the Grand Canyon where Diet Cola shows up in nothing but a classic, patient hospital gown. I'll leave you now to either read the book, or try to make sense of this review. Before I go, I must mention the most important character; Poindexter the pig. Do pigs really fly? Sometimes. But only when decked-out in sequins.


So, if you aren't offended by smelly arm-pits, rapid rise testosterone, and other bodily functions, I think you'll enjoy this raunchy, highly entertaining offering by Bob Sanchez. I promise you won't read another quite like it!