Karen Russell

I have a Ph.D. in mass communication and teach public relations at a major Southeastern public university. I also have a husband and a daughter. But in my spare time I love to read mysteries.

Rosemary and Thyme (DVD)

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May 182012

I don’t much care for gardening, and if you don’t believe me just take a look at the completely mistreated rosebushes in my backyard. That may be why I kept skipping over the DVDs for the series “Rosemary and Thyme” at my local library, even though I’ve pretty much gotten to the point of having seen all of the mysteries/thrillers it owns that I’m likely to ever watch. However, my inability to concentrate on reading lately has meant lots of DVD watching, and “Rosemary and Thyme” was just about my speed.

The series begins with Rosemary Boxer (played by Felicity Kendel) meeting Laura Thyme (Pam Ferris), who’s just been dumped by her husband for a much younger woman. They end up staying in the same hotel, and it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Not to mention of an unlikely crime-fighting duo.

These are light, traditional mysteries, most less than an hour long; Rosemary’s expertise in plant pathology gets them called in to diagnose and solve gardening problems, and wherever they happen to be a murder seems to occur. Laura’s background as a WPC and her son, who’s an active police officer, provide them with access to information most horticulture experts lack when it comes to solving crimes. Together they manage to solve both the murders and the botanical mysteries, but since they tend to move around a lot (pretty much only really rich people with huge gardens can afford to have their plants analyzed) their reputation doesn’t seem to precede them.

I’ve watched a jumble of the episodes all out of order — tough to do otherwise when you’re just looking for something to watch at the library — but in all honesty it doesn’t seem to matter. Each episode is a standalone, and although there are some changes particularly in Laura’s personal life, watching them out of order didn’t bother me at all. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try to catch the pilot first, as I did, for the background on each character individually as well as their partnership in both gardening and fighting crime.

So, if the day comes that you need something to provide a little distraction, but that doesn’t require your brain to operate on full capacity; or if you enjoy gardening; or if a light cozy mystery is what you’re in the mood for, turn to “Rosemary and Thyme.” They won’t let you down.

G. M. Malliet, Death at the Alma Mater

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May 162012

As a mystery-loving college professor I can’t help but read the occasional academic mystery, so when I heard about G. M. Malliet’s Death at the Alma Mater, set at Cambridge, I found a copy as soon as I could.

In some ways Death at the Alma Mater is reminiscent of Gaudy Night, Dorothy Sayers’ Harriet Vane/Lord Peter Wimsey mystery set in her old college, albeit a more modern version. In this instance not all the alumni are invited back, only a handful of the wealthiest who were students in the late 1980s and who understand very well that their money is the reason for their invitation. The Harriet Vane role is played by Portia De’Ath, who’s writing her thesis while also working on a detective novel; she’s also DCI Arthur St. Just’s love interest, and is conveniently located in St. Michael’s College (a fictitious college at Cambridge). She, of course, can’t help getting involved in the investigation that occurs when one of the alumni is found dead near the college’s boathouse.

Malliet’s fiction pays homage to classic mystery writers like Sayers, although the story is told with more wit than I remember from most of the classics I’ve read. For instance, one of the alumni is a large, drawling Texan whose belt buckle draws the fascinated attention of St. Just and his sergeant: “Highly polished and intricately carved, it depicted an enormous steer’s head, its eyes represented by two large turquoise stones. It and the wide belt would have been suitable for securing the college gates, let alone holding up Cramb’s trousers.” And again, of British alumna Hermione Jax, “Her thick gray hair was coiled atop her head like an intricately braided laundry basket.” These observations are not central to the plot, but they sure are fun to read.

This is one of the better academic mysteries I’ve read lately, so if you’re into to them, too, I recommend it.

Jacqueline Winspear, Elegy for Eddie

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May 142012

I finally read all of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series (although I still owe you reviews on a couple of them, will happen someday, really) and waited anxiously for the new one. Unfortunately Elegy for Eddie turned out not to be one of my favorites in the series: still good, mind you, just not my favorite.

There are a couple of reasons for this, one involving the mystery, the other involving Maisie’s personal life. As it happens, the series is at a transitional point for both, and although transitions are necessary and often bring about improvement, they aren’t usually fun (read as a veiled reference to my divorce, still in process).

The mystery first. The story begins with a visit from a group of costermongers that Maisie knew as a child, who’ve pooled their money to ask her to investigate the death of an old friend, the eponymous Eddie, who was born in a stable and has had remarkable way with horses ever since. He was accidentally killed in a factory that he visited occasionally when the company needed help with its horses, yet the costers think there may have been more to the story. Maisie quickly agrees to investigate, recalling Eddie as a slow, gentle innocent whose mind never really grew up. But her questions soon take her into some odd territory: it seems that her best friend Priscilla’s husband is somehow connected, and there’s something strange going on at an important newspaper chain that has something to do with Hitler’s Germany (for the first time, World War II loomed larger in Maisie’s life than World War I) and that connects to people known by Maisie’s lover, James Compton.

Ahh, James: and here we have Maisie’s personal life. First of all, she’s more or less living with James at the Ebury Place mansion where she once worked as a maid — not sure which one of those items is less likely given her time and place — and second of all, she doesn’t seem to really like him anymore. I for one will be glad if Winspear doesn’t feel the need to marry Maisie off, but I sure wish Maisie would make her mind up about it — first Dr. Andrew Dene and now the good viscount finding themselves involved with a woman who doesn’t intend to give up her freedom, a woman who’s usually the epitome of honesty and introspection, yet seems to lack them when it comes to men.

The book ends with Maisie, to my mind at least, compromising on both the resolution to the mystery (of Eddie’s death, and of the newspaper/Hitler thing) and on her relationship with James. Winspear gives us reasons to make both of these things plausible, but they just don’t feel like genuine Maisie me. But then, there’s always the chance that she’ll rally in the next book. You can be sure I’ll be reading it, as soon as it comes out.

Ulysses Moore, The Door to Time

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May 102012

Ulysses Moore was a mysterious old man who owned Argo Manor in Kilmore Cove. Eleven-year-old twins Jason and Julia Covenant have just moved into the sprawling, treasure-filled old mansion when their new friend Rick Banner comes to stay for the day while their parents are out of town. And that’s when the adventure in The Door to Time begins.

Mysterious events begin to occur in the house. Things seem to move around, and the kids hear strange sounds, or think they do. After Jason almost falls off a cliff, he finds a clue, a piece of parchment with some cryptic writing, which they can’t decode until Nestor, the old caretaker who actually knew Ulysses Moore, suggests that one of the books in the library might help them figure out what the parchment says. That’s just the first clue in a series that leads the children to an old door that can’t be opened… until they figure out how.

This is a good mystery-adventure story for kids 9-11 or so, in the vein of the Lemony Snicket, who sent manuscripts to his publisher as “Michael Merryweather” does in this series, or Artemis Fowl. The kids are on their own to use their heads and other resources to solve a problem, and the book ends on a big cliff hanger that will have readers clamoring for the next book, The Long-Lost Map.

Matt Rees, Mozart’s Last Aria

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May 072012

In Mozart’s Last Aria, Matt Rees has taken real events from the life and death of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and used them as the scaffolding for a mystery about the composer’s death. When Wolfgang’s estranged sister, Madame Berchtold von Sonnenburg — known familiarly as Nannerl, gets a letter from her sister-in-law stating that he believed he’d been poisoned and that he certainly had not been having an extramarital affair, she quickly realizes that something is very, very wrong: although his health had always been somewhat precarious, the circumstances described here merited further investigation.

Nannerl leaves her country home and travels to Vienna to talk to Wolfgang’s wife and friends. She quickly finds herself immersed again in the life she had once known, moving among the wealthy and titled and playing Wolfgang’s music for them. It seems Nannerl had been nearly as talented as her brother, if not in composition than in playing his music. Having been out of that world since her marriage, though, Nannerl has no idea whom she can trust, though she begins to see that Wolfgang’s radical politics, as played out through his membership in the Masons as well as his music, provided a realistic motive for his murder.

I love both historical fiction and Mozart’s music, so there was much to enjoy here. I wish I’d known, though, that there’s a section in the back of the book, “The Music,” that provides citations to the music being described at various points in the text — I would’ve listened to some of it as I went along, just to add to the atmosphere and my appreciation for his work. (Check out this site, or there are many videos on YouTube, although I can’t vouch for their quality.) I’m listening to his Requiem as I write this review.

I enjoyed the cultural and historical aspects of the book more than the mystery, which I found somewhat confusing due to the names and titles and politics of an unfamiliar time and place — my own failing, I’m sure! Nonetheless I offer sincere thanks to Julia O’Halloran, Harper Collins publicist, for send me a copy of the book for review: it’s different from most of what I’ve been reading lately, and it reminded me of just how much I enjoy Mozart’s music.

Counts toward Europe in the 2012 Global Reading Challenge

Strong Poison (DVD)

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May 042012

I enjoyed the BBC productions of “Gaudy Night” and “Have His Carcase” so much that I decided to go back to the first of the Dorothy Sayers productions, “Strong Poison,” in which Lord Peter Wimsey meets Harriet Vane and solves the mystery of her former lover’s murder.

I have to admit that I didn’t sit and stare at “Strong Poison” but wandered around doing other things as well, because I already pretty much knew what happens from having read or watched mysteries that came after this one in the Dorothy Sayers and collection. It’s part of the same BBC television series, same actors — Harriet Walter as Harriet Vane and Edward Petherbridge as Lord Peter Wimsey — and production values, same look and feel. Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching the story unfold.

Sadly, the series included only three parts and I’ve now seen all of them, oddly enough in reverse order. On to another British television mystery series (to be determined)!

Adimchinma Ibe, Cronies

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May 012012

Hardboiled detective Tammy Peterside returns in Cronies, Adimchinma Ibe’s third police procedural set in Nigeria. Although there are some problems with the translation and editing, I actually enjoyed this one more than the other one I’ve read.

Cronies begins with Peterside complaining about the April heat in Port Harcourt, although taking some small comfort in the fact that “Nigerian weather was a leveler… we all feel the heat.” In this instance, the homicide detective, the murderer, the victim’s family, the crime ring, the possibly corrupt police — they’re all feeling the heat.

Peterside is investigating the murder of a man in a guest house. When a witness describes the possible shooter as looking like a police officer, Peterside knows this could be a tough case to crack; when the witness is murdered in her own home, he knows there’s a big problem; and when higher-ups in the police department start interfering, he knows he’s in big trouble. He ignores their advice and orders and continues to investigate — even when he’s pulled off the case. Once again, the violence is ugly and almost random, and it seems that only Tammy’s humanity stands between Port Harcourt and complete chaos.

As in the first book, Tammy is both a terrible boyfriend and one of the few decent people, never mind police officers, around. And he’s still funny, as when he describes his partner:

One thing about Ade–not Nigeria’s best conversationalist. The drive was short so he talked about how short the drive was.

After I reviewed Treachery in the Yard, Ibe’s previous Tammy Peterside mystery, the author was kind enough to send me Cronies for review, and I thank him for the chance to continue reading about Tammy’s exploits.

Counts toward Africa in the 2012 Global Reading Challenge.

Foyle’s War, Set 3 (DVD)

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Apr 272012

Foyle’s War is such a delight. I’m up to Set 3 now, and caught up to the random episode I watched the first time–now it makes a lot more sense! Set 3 takes place during the first half of 1941, and unlike the first two sets I didn’t really identify an overarching theme while watching them, and in retrospect I can only come up with “people are often not what they seem.” But you can say that about pretty much any mystery, so let’s forget about major themes and talk about the stories.

In “The French Drop,” Foyle finally appears to be lined up for the war job he’s been seeking, a position at Naval Command. But in the meantime, he doggedly pursues a murder investigation in Hastings, the apparent suicide of a young man who turns out to be the son of an MI5 officer. He continues to investigate even when the trail leads to an undercover war office for training people in espionage, an organization which does not welcome his efforts. He solves the case, but made the wrong person mad, and so his opportunity to work in the Navy disappears (thank heavens, for those of us who want him to stay in the police).

“Enemy Fire” takes place at Digby Manor, which has been requisitioned by the RAF to serve as a hospital, particularly for the treatment of burns. This, of course, hits close to home for Foyle because his son, Andrew, is an RAF pilot; however, Andrew goes AWOL following the horrible death of another pilot who was flying in Andrew’s plane. Problems come up at the hospital — missing drugs, sabotage, escalating to violence — and Andrew’s incompetent mechanic is found murdered. Foyle investigates.

“They Fought in the Fields” features Sam Stewart working as a land girl, feeling guilty for doing nothing more for the war effort than driving a police officer around. Two Germans are captured after an air raid near the farm where Sam’s working, but something’s not quite right about their story. When a third German is found dangling in a parachute, and when Foyle sees how the Germans interact in the prison camp, he gets very suspicious about what they’re up to.

In “War of Nerves” Foyle keeps track of a Communist agitator while Milner gets his turn on center stage, working undercover in the building trade to figure out how certain items are ending up on the black market. Then an unexploded bomb puts everyone in danger, and the members of the bomb disposal unit who come to disable it are tempted by a stash of money that they agree to hide and divide up later. Unfortunately, this leads to the death of one of their group, and Foyle and Milner have to save everyone from their own greed.

Apparently many of these stories were based on actual wartime events, just moved to Hastings so Inspector Foyle and his team can investigate. Knowing that makes me like the series even more, because it allows us to imagine how life might have been under the pressure of all-out war. It also keeps the stories fresh, and fascinating.

Jacqueline Winspear, Messenger of Truth

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Apr 252012

Opening a book, seeing a character’s name and realizing, “Oh, this must be the one where that character dies”… not a good thing. My own fault, though, because I’ve made a complete hash of reading Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series in any sort of order.

Messenger of Truth is Winspear’s fourth Maisie Dobbs mystery, but I’ve read three that follow it, which pretty much takes the suspense out of Maisie’s personal life. Luckily, though, the mysteries stand on their own.

In this one, Maisie is hired by a woman who believes her twin brother’s accidental death was not so accidental. Her reason is simply gut feeling, but that’s enough to interest psychologist/investigator Dobbs. She begins by investigating Georgina Bassington-Hope’s family and her twin Nicholas’ friends, all members of the art community, which is populated by British artists and dealers, American buyers, and even some unscrupulous smugglers.

Maisie is also confronting some personal demons — particularly her relationships with Andrew Dene and with her mentor, Dr. Maurice Blanche, as well as her attempts to balance independence with the possibility of loneliness. She also demonstrates a strong sense of social justice, faced with the inequity of health care based on income.

I’ll just conclude by saying that Maisie is a reliably consistent mystery series with both good plot and strong characterization. Try it!

Sjöwall and Wahlöö, Murder at the Savoy

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Apr 232012

Number six in Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö’s Martin Beck series is Murder at the Savoy, one of the most famous of their stories, if not one of the best.

Some years ago I had the educational if not enjoyable experience of serving on my county’s grand jury. We met once a week to listen to evidence presented by the district attorney, police and various witnesses to decide if there was enough evidence to indict a suspect, thus sending the case to trial. We didn’t have to decide guilt or innocence, just determine if there was enough reason to pursue the case. This experience taught me a lot of things… there are a couple of domestic violence cases I will never forget… but more to the point for this post, one of the things I learned was that most often criminals are caught because someone saw or heard something and told the police about it.

That turns out to be really key in Murder at the Savoy. The story opens with the murder of a wealthy (and living on the edge of illegal) businessman. Victor Palmgren is holding a small business meeting at the Savoy’s restaurant, and when he rises to speak to his table, a man walks in, shoots him, and jumps out the window without saying a word. By the time people realize what’s happened, the man is gone. No one can really remember what he looked like, what sort of clothes he wore or gun he carried, or really anything else.

Martin Beck and many of our old friends from previous Sjöwall and Wahlöö mysteries slowly and undramatically unwind the few little threads there are to follow, and at a couple of key points they get help from ordinary people who provide small but vital clues that help the police solve the mystery.

As always there’s a melancholy feel to this Martin Beck mystery. Although he’s finally out of his miserable personal life, and makes a humorous attempt at hosting a dinner party on his own, deep down Martin Beck is sad, and the resolution of the mystery does nothing to improve his outlook.

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