The Alto Wore Tweed–unpretentious protagonist
The Alto Wore Tweed
by Mark Schweizer
This is a very funny mystery and probably different from all other mysteries you have read. The protagonist of The Alto Wore Tweed is Hayden Konig, a man who wears several hats, but is predominantly chief of police and the only detective in St. Germaine, North Carolina, as well as choir master for the Episcopal church. He is highly qualified for both jobs, and music is his passion. He dates Meg, an investment counselor, who lives with and takes care of her aging mother. Hayden also has visions of being a mystery writer in the style of Raymond Chandler. He has several million in investments from the sale of a patent, but lives simply.
Hayden is a nice guy but is not one to butter people up or try to stay on everyone’s good side—especially the new rector at the Episcopal church, Mother Ryan, a woman who holds a “wimmym’s” retreat where the celebrants “ReImagine God in our own feminine image” and suggest new names for God such as Sophia, Moon Mother, and Wanda. The literally explosive, untimely ending to their retreat is hysterically funny.
The janitor at the church is found dead, and much of the book focuses on discovering how he died and who murdered him. Hayden and his staff of two are good at following clues, and I was convinced several times that I knew the identify of the killer only to have the investigation go in a different direction. The method the killer used was uncommon.
The style of writing is humorous, replete with puns and tongue in cheek repartee. The author inserts Hayden’s attempts at mystery writing throughout in a manual typewriter font. His reading audience is the choir as he inserts new chapters in their choir folders weekly for them to read when the service is boring.
The reader watches a Christmas disaster as the Rotary Club and Kiwanis Club create competing creche displays in subfreezing temperatures. What could go wrong when you have live animals, a bagpipe player, and a dromedary who thinks he hears his mating call? This book is the first in a series of 15 books with a distinctive kind of humor.
In discussing this with my book club, I discovered a variety of responses to The Alto Wore Tweed. I think we all agreed that the insertion of the Chandler style mystery was not done well and immediately became a distraction rather than an enhancement. I know I have a quirky sense of humor, and that was confirmed as some members did not find the book nearly as funny as I did. The characters are portrayed by caricatures; across the board almost no one is given a realistic depiction and therein lies the humor for me. There are MANY classical music references, most of which probably had significance which escaped me. If I had not spent some time in Episcopal and Anglican churches with a formal liturgy, I’m not sure I would have understood the format of the services. In conclusion, The Alto Wore Tweed is unconventional and innovative. Its plot is worth following with a complicated mode of murder. I certainly did not determine the killer correctly before the conclusion. Some may consider it irreverent, but it pokes fun at those who think too highly of themselves. Eccentric characters rule the day.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery, Humor
Publication: 2002—SJMP Books
Memorable Lines:
“Oh man,” I said, suddenly remembering everything I had forgotten to bring with me. “Nancy, did you bring any gloves? Mine are in the truck.” “Right here, boss,” she said producing a box of physician’s disposable latex wear and a baggie from her purse. “What a babe!” I said. Then, remembering my PC rules, quickly changed to “I mean, thank you Officer.” Nancy snorted in good-natured disgust and handed me the box.
“On Friday, a woman came into the station and complained to Nancy that the night clerk at the Roadway had sold her baking powder instead of cocaine. She wanted to file a complaint. She even gave Nancy the baggie of powder.” Meg looked at me in disbelief. “Was it baking powder?” “Nope. It was cocaine all right. We drove her down to Boone. Told her she needed to file her complaint from the courthouse. About halfway there, she started getting scared and told us she’d decided not to press charges. Anyway, they booked her on possession and locked her up.”
“Bourbon?” he asked, as soon as I walked in. I may have been becoming a little too predictable. “Sheesh, Kent. It’s ten in the morning. At least we can pretend that we’re being civilized. Pour mine into this coffee.” I pushed his espresso across the desk to him and he poured a couple of fingers into both cups….I stirred my coffee with the end of my pen, wiped it on my jacket and waited for Kent to peruse the file.
Run, Rose, Run–country western songwriter and singer
Run, Rose, Run
by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
What do you get when a country music legend collaborates with the world’s best selling author? If the pair is comprised of Dolly Parton and James Patterson, then the creation is Run, Rose, Run. The two authors draw on each other’s strengths to write a fascinating thriller about a young singer-songwriter with the talent and drive to make it to the top. AnnieLee Keyes, unfortunately, has a past that haunts her present as she desperately tries to outrun some evil men. Her secrets are so painful that she can not bear to share them with anyone.
AnnieLee gradually goes from homeless to having a peek at what life could look like if she were successful in the tough music industry. She had the good fortune to meet Ethan who is also struggling financially and emotionally, but who is immediately attracted to this beautiful, talented “firecracker.” He introduces her to his famous boss Ruthanna Ryder who has retired from public singing and releasing new works, but continues to write songs and sing them in her private studio.
Run, Rose, Run moves from focusing on AnnieLee’s survival to her career development and back to survival again as she is physically attacked several times. She conceals on each occasion who is attacking her and why increasing the suspense for the reader.
Patterson brings storytelling skills and experience as an author to the book, and Parton contributes knowledge of how the music industry works. The reader gets glimpses of what success looks like, what is involved in attaining it, and how fame affects people. Quite unfamiliar with the music industry, I found myself looking up a few terms and was surprised by the difficult life endured by those at the bottom of the ladder. Without a doubt, parts of Ruthanna’s character are based on Dolly Parton’s life, especially her efforts to get books in the hands of children. Also Dolly Parton and the characters Ruthanna and AnnieLee have in common a love of song writing. I picture Ruthanna as a fictional Dolly Parton from her folksy, direct Southern expressions to her adherence to expensive clothes, full makeup, and glitzy stage costumes. Run, Rose, Run is a fun trip behind the scenes to learn how country music stars are made, told via a dramatic mystery that kept me turning pages and, at times, holding my breath.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery and Thriller
Notes: 1. Contains lots of swearing.
2. Dolly produced an accompanying album. You can listen to the music composed by the characters in the book if you seek it out on YouTube.
Publication: March 7, 2022—Little, Brown, & Co.
Memorable Lines:
“If time is money, my friends,” she said in conclusion, “just think of all I’ve saved you by not rambling on and on. So be generous tonight, please, and help us give books to kids who need them. Who crave them. And whose lives will be forever changed by them. Because books, my friends, are true magic bound between two covers. Thank you.”
Ethan was funny, though, and Ruthanna had quickly developed a soft spot for him, partly because he thought he was so tough. One of these days she was going to tell him that a bullet wound and a Purple Heart didn’t make him hard as nails. They made him just like everyone else. Sometimes you could see the scars and sometimes you couldn’t. But everybody had them.
But Ethan had seen AnnieLee in her kitchen, and as far as he could tell, she barely knew a colander from a cantaloupe, Left to her own devices, she’d probably survive on canned beans, Pringles, and the occasional multivitamin at best.
Honeymoons Can Be Hazardous–greed!
Honeymoons Can Be Hazardous
by Amanda Flower
Where you see zany, flamboyant Lois, an Englisch grandmother who helps out in her granddaughter Darcy’s café, you will probably also find Millie, her Amish best friend from childhood. Millie tries to stay within the rules of her Amish district, but it’s hard when Lois encourages her as the “Amish Marple” to pursue investigations. This time the victim almost literally falls in their laps in a particularly bizarre means of murder.
There are personal complications also as one of Lois’ many ex-husbands shows up in the little town of Harvest with his new bride of two days. What a shock for Lois to see “Rocksino-Guy” again and in her own hometown. The bride is very interested in Amish furniture specially designed with secret compartments. Millie and Lois investigate three local furniture makers to try to discover what the compartments might be used for.
Millie is an unofficial matchmaker, and she is called on by various Amish locals to determine if a match is suitable. She doesn’t go out looking for people to match, but she has a good feeling about whether a couple is compatible or not. If asked she will give her opinion, but she never offers it unsolicited or charges for her service. Even Millie’s matchmaking skills are an important thread in this mystery.
Harvest is always supporting some community event. In this story, it is a Valentine’s Day Spaghetti Supper that is a fundraiser for a drug counseling treatment program. Both the Amish and the Englisch citizens are concerned about the rising drug problem in Holmes County especially following the recent overdose death of an Amish teenager.
Millie and Lois, in their late sixties, find themselves in dangerous situations as their investigations draw them ever closer to discovering the truth. With someone slinking around the widowed Millie’s isolated farm and the discovery of a threatening note, Lois and chief deputy Brad determine to get the district bishop Yoder to allow Lois better phone access for emergencies. Even Ruth Yoder, the bishop’s strict wife, softens up to Lois and encourages the pair in their investigations.
A visit to Harvest wouldn’t be complete without Jethro, the pot-bellied pig, who puts in an appearance. Millie’s mischievous goats have prominent roles and even come to Millie’s rescue. Honeymoons Can Be Hazardous is a good cozy mystery with lots of threads and humor. The series always shows the ways the Amish and Englisch can work together with respect despite their differences.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #4 in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone.
Publication: December 27, 2022—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
What I saw was a man with bloodshot eyes, sunken cheeks, and a heart shattered into a thousand shards.
Even with her zany Englisch ways, my parents welcomed her onto our farm and let her stay as long as she wished. They knew she needed a safe place to go.
“I can speak to bad marriages. They are hard. In fact, I can’t think of anything about the single life that’s as awful as a bad marriage.”
Madame Fourcade’s Secret War: The Daring Young Woman Who Led France’s Largest Spy Network against Hitler
Madame Fourcade’s Secret War
by Lynne Olson
Until I read Madame Fourcade’s Secret War, my idea of the French resistance in WWII was that it was composed of small, scattered groups of French who wanted no part of the German Nazis and fled to the forests to live in secrecy and give the Germans grief. This biography of Madame Fourcade is about her life, but also relates the amazing story of Alliance, an intricate spy network that collaborated with the British in obtaining information about German troop and ship movements that was critical to the eventual success of the Allies.
The work the resistance did was extremely dangerous from the undercover agents and their support crews to couriers and radio operators. Everyone was constantly under threat and generally on the move to avoid capture, imprisonment, torture, and execution. Yet these many brave individuals and the people who helped transport and conceal them performed their tasks voluntarily and with courage. They came from all walks of life knowing they were committing to the ultimate sacrifice in many cases.
It was amazing to read of the various situations they were involved in and the escape attempts. Fourcade, as the leader of this network, changed her identity and transferred her headquarters frequently, leaving her children in the care of others. The book makes clear how unusual and difficult it was in that time period for a woman to have a role of authority over men. She was a natural leader, however, and that quality was soon recognized by those who reported to her.
This work of nonfiction displays author Lynne Olson’s extensive research, but it reads like a novel. The reader wants to keep going to subsequent chapters to discover what happens next to the members of Alliance. There are many surprises, both good and bad.
The roles of the various countries and their agreements were at times quite infuriating. France was divided up into a northern part taken over by Germany and a southern part which became a puppet regime for Germany with their operatives everywhere. Even in exile in Britain there were two competing sides with French leaders—de Gaulle and the Free French vs. Giraud, a general the British were using to win over French forces in North Africa. There were even political pushes for dominance by the various resistance networks. Fourcade did her best to keep Alliance out of all the different political drives.
In each of the many historical fiction books popular right now, readers can learn something interesting and new about various groups in WWII. I recommend reading Madame Fourcade’s Secret War. As nonfiction, it is a slower and more difficult read, but it is well worth the effort to understand the French resistance movement and so much more about the events and major figures of WWII.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Nonfiction, Biography
Notes: 1. This would make a good selection for book clubs who want to read a work of nonfiction.
2. There are pictures of many of the agents.
3. Helpful sections of the book include Selected Cast of Characters, Author’s Note (about Fourcade’s name), Notes, Bibliography, and Index.
Publication: 2019—Random House
Memorable Lines:
Lynen, who had recently agreed to take part in a theatrical tour across France, said he would transport the transmitters and secret documents from one city to another in his costume trunk. He told Fourcade that his celebrity would be an advantage rather than a negative: No one would ever believe that the famous “Carrot Top” was a spy. It would be, he said with a grin, his finest role.
A few days before, she had gone to confession and told the priest about the poison she was taking with her and her concerns about being damned in the eyes of the church if she used it to kill herself. She hoped she would have the courage to resist torture, but she worried that she might not be able to do so and might, in the end, inform on her colleagues. The priest allayed her fears, saying her death would not be a suicide but rather a necessary means of resisting the enemy. He gave her absolution in advance.
Although they were from varied walks of life and political backgrounds, a moral common denominator overrode all their differences; a refusal to be silenced and an iron determination to fight against the destruction of freedom and human dignity. In doing so, they, along with other members of the resistance, saved the soul and honor of France.
Death in the Margins–student dance production
Death in the Margins
by Victoria Gilbert
Amy is the director of the Taylorsford Public Library which is a more than full time job as she has to fill in when one of her two part time assistants or volunteers is unable to work their shifts. She is married to Richard Muir, a contemporary dancer, choreographer, and instructor at Clarion University. The book starts out with action as Meredith Fox, Richard’s ex-fiancée and also a dancer, stirs up conflict at a rehearsal and soon after is discovered murdered.
Taylorsford is a smallish community where there are few secrets, lots of relationships, and rampant gossip. Amy doesn’t believe that the young man accused of the crime is guilty so she informally interviews local residents and uses her library research skills to discover other potential suspects. She reports back to the chief deputy who is allowed to only assist on the case because it is not in his jurisdiction. Other major threads that tie into the murder involve art theft, blackmail, and expensive horses. Meanwhile, Richard and his dance partner Karla are consumed with preparations for a presentation featuring younger students, university students, and some professionals. It will benefit the student dance program in the local school system.
Amy is highly observant but perhaps too trusting. I sometimes question why she would believe certain characters’ statements.
Often she changes her opinion about the individuals on her list of suspects based on what they say about their location at the time of the crime as well as their motivations and involvements with others in the community. Her trust endangers her on more than one occasion.
This is an all-round, solid, good cozy mystery with just the right amount of personal interactions between the characters. The dance classes include children who have various kinds of disabilities and a girl who is on the autistic spectrum. These students are minor characters, but I appreciate their being included. Kids just automatically love to dance when they are allowed to abandon themselves to music. I have a life-long love of libraries, dance, and children so this book appeals to me in a number of ways.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: Death in the Margins is #7 in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series. I have read some, but not all, of the books in the series and had no trouble enjoying this one as an “almost” standalone. As with most cozy mystery series, reading them all in sequence would probably be best. This is a good series which I recommend.
Publication: December 6, 2022—Crooked Lane Books
Memorable Lines:
“I would’ve dressed up a little if I’d known I could use my feminine wiles to extract more information out of him.” Kurt laughed. “Do you really think you have any of those, my dear? Don’t you know your charm lies in the fact that you’re so direct and lacking in what some would call feminine guile?”
I didn’t mind managing the library solo. It allowed me to indulge in one of my favorite fantasies—that the collection of books and other materials, as well as the comfortable, wellworn space, were all mine. My own private sanctuary, filled with light and enough reading material to keep me entertained and informed for years and years.
“Why, Aunt Lydia, if I didn’t know better, I’d suspect you of watching some of those mob-inspired TV shows.” “I may have seen one or two,” she replied airily, “but also plenty of noir films from the forties. There’s sadly no time-frame limitation on crime and violence, you know.”
Standoff–my first audiobook
Standoff
by Patricia Bradley
My first foray into the world of audiobooks was on a recent roadtrip by myself. Because I am a newbie to this medium, I was going to forgo a review. By the time I got to the end of Standoff by Patricia Bradley, however, I realized I do have some insights to share.
- Although the format, an audio book, is interesting, I don’t think it will ever replace actually reading the book. Just as I enjoy print copies and e-books, audiobooks are another tool in my toolbox but not my favorite at this point.
- You need uninterrupted alone time to be able to enjoy an audiobook.
- I listened to this book because I had read # 4 (Deception) in the series and wanted the backstory. That is not what I got. I discovered the series is composed of four different protagonists with some overlap in minor characters. These books can truly be read as standalones.
- As a newcomer to audio books, but not to dramatic arts, I hesitate in my judgement of Rachel Dulade, the book’s reader. She had a difficult task as she spoke in a deep South, Louisiana accent for a variety of characters, both men and women. It was difficult to distinguish her male characters from each other. Her narrator voice was without accent and well done.
- The plot itself was excellent. The book started out a bit slow, but by the end the pace was heart-thumpingly fast.
- My favorite supporting character is Daisy, an elderly neighbor of Brooke, the protagonist. Daisy is a wise and independent woman who hovers on the brink of needing extra help in her daily activities.
- There are a lot of moral and ethical issues the characters must face. Suspicion casts its shadow on a number of Rangers and political standouts. It is hard for Brooke to know whom to trust. The reader is also given an inside peek at the many ways people deal with grief.
- I recommend this book and series in whatever format you prefer.
Rating: book—5/5, audio—4/5
Category: Mystery, Suspense, Christian Fiction
Notes: #1 in the Natchez Trace Park Rangers Series, but is a standalone novel.
Publication: May 4, 2020—Baker Publishing, Tantor audio
education pathways 