Remarkable Russell

After an agonising four years, mystery author Laurie R. King brings Mary Russell and her husband, the great Sherlock Holmes, back in The Language of Bees. King's dynamic duo not only returns in print, but after seven harrowing months abroad, home to Sussex. Immediately, Holmes is immersed in a domestic mystery of the 'death' of one of his beehives. What the two don't realise is that soon, a bigger mystery will overtake their lives, tracking down Holmes' son Damian Adler. Adler is accused in a number of murders and disappearances, including that of his own wife and daughter. The violent episodes appear to centre around celestial events and ancient monuments such as Stonehenge.

The characteristic I enjoy most about King's Mary Russell series is its old-fashioned quality. In this day and age of fax machines, emails, digital cameras, television and mobile phones, it would be relatively easy to inform the public about the roaming of a dangerous predator. Not so for poor Russell; in order to try to apprehend her suspect, she hires the (supposedly) quickest form of transportation, a single engine airplane, which still takes her a matter of days and a great deal of frustration to travel eleven hundred kilometres. I also enjoy Holmes' classic keen sense of observation, and deduction of an item's appearance at a crime scene. Clever language and fine detail are key components; these are not fast paced books, but they offer suspense and intrigue, all the while encouraging readers to take their time and relish it all.

Ghosts and giggles

Sophie Kinsella's Twenties Girl Sadie Lancaster is spirited, courageous, slim, stylish, and beautiful. She's also dead. But she's not ready to let go of this world yet, even though she had 105 years in it. That's because she can't rest without her precious dragonfly necklace, a symbol of the happiest years of her life, those of her twenties. Sadie therefore enlists the aid of her great-niece, Lara Lington, who has failed in romance, business, and truthfulness with her family. Lara is the only one who can see and (creatively) communicate with Sadie, and together, they take on Lara's Uncle Bill to get the necklace back.

At first, Sadie and Lara clash. Sadie is a stiff upper lip, get on with it and have fun, personality type (she describes the Second World War as "cold and dreary and one's friends got killed, and I'd rather not think about it"), while Lara is one who likes to get in touch with one's feelings and over-analyse. Along the way, Sadie influences Lara to unwind, and even gets her to agree to asking Ed, an attractive stranger with whom Sadie wants to dance, on a date. However, while her mantra for living may be admirable, Sadie's taste in clothing and make-up are not quite in agreement with either Lara or Ed.

There were many instances in Twenties Girl that had me laughing out loud, and even a couple that got me teary. By the end, I was reluctant to let Sadie and Lara go; I had enjoyed hanging out with them. It's not often you find a feel-good ghost story, but this is one of them.

An untimely passing

A while ago, I listed a number of my favourite mysteries. Included on the list was the Lara McClintoch Archeaological Series by Lyn Hamilton. It was with regret that I read about Hamilton's death from cancer over the weekend.

Lara, a Toronto based antiques dealer, came to being late in Hamilton's life. After working in communications, and being responsible for archeological and heritage conservation projects as director of Ontario's Cultural Programs Branch, the author published The Xibalba Murders in 1997. The title earned her a nomination for the Arthur Ellis Award for best first crime novel in Canada. Her 2003 book, The Celtic Riddle, served as the basis for a Murder She Wrote television movie, with Jessica Fletcher taking over from Lara as sleuth. With eleven adventures under Lara's belt, Hamilton wrapped up the series in 2007 with The Chinese Alchemist, in order to focus on helping new writers, and with a vague promise that she may return to writing. A private person, she was likely already fighting her cancer.



The elements I enjoy about the Lara McClintoch series, in addition to Lara's unenviable talent to stumble upon a murder virtually everywhere she went, are Hamilton's interests in the archaeology and history of different geographical regions and cultures. I always felt like I was taking a mini-vacation, albeit a bloody and violent one, while learning bits and pieces of said regions and cultures. And Lara is a likable, feisty, and intelligent heroine. And a pretty good sport, considering her outings inevitably end up far from relaxing.

For anyone who has not indulged themselves in one of Lyn Hamilton's mystery, I think it would be a wonderful homage to the author to pick one up and feel some regret that her talent was lost too soon.


For a complete list of Hamilton's Lara McClintoch series and more information, visit her website at www.lynhamilton.com.

Genius or just lucky?

About twenty years ago, I wrote an undergrad essay on the great Dutch artist Jan Vermeer. During my research, I stumbled across a man named Han Van Meegeren, a somewhat talented but unoriginal painter who has the dubious reputation of fooling both the art world and Nazi leaders during the Second World War. After being ridiculed and dismissed by leading art critics, Van Meegeren became obsessed with showing them for the 'fools' they were by 'creating' a masterpiece by Vermeer, then announcing that it was in fact his own creation.

Since I first saw these works, my thoughts were "how could anyone with eyes, nevermind the most respected art historians in the world, have fallen for this tripe?" Well, author Edward Dolnick succeeds in telling readers just how. The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century" in part explains the collection of events that turned Van Meegeren's The Supper at Emmaus from overly-sentimental, insipid rubbish to a Masterpiece. While Dolnick's research is detail oriented, it is not bogged down with too much information, never to the point of inducing boredom. The author presents his information in short, catchy chapters, each a story in themselves. These include the politics of the era, input from past and contemporary art and forgery experts, mini-biographies of the persons involved, Van Meegeren's insightful forging techniques, his success and his fallout.

The Forger's Spell often feels more like fiction than fact, which makes it appealing to art- and history-lovers, as well as readers of fast-paced, psychological thrillers.

A great afternoon escape

Mags Grimsdale is a 40-something ex-Goth (okay, not entirely ex) married for over twenty years to Bill, a former Punk and the love of her life. Together, they have raised four straight laced children. Mags' boss, Julie Sultana, is her exact opposite, a cool blonde, play-the-field wedding planner who has little faith in happily-ever-after. While Julie juggles her time between her devoted fiance and her secret young lover, Mags must organise the upcoming wedding of a famous rock star, complete with bats, vampire attire, a haunted house wedding cake, and skull-patterned tuxedo. Plus take care of her depressed oldest son, his anorexia suffering girlfriend, her father's funeral (complete with bizarre relatives), her daughter's emigration to Australia, and potential financial disaster.

Sharon Owens' Revenge of the Wedding Planner is a light, entertaining story with fun and frustrating characters, quick moving scenes, lots of turmoil, and a woman trying to make keep her head amongst the chaos. It's a great read for one sitting, so try it for a late summer lollygag in the garden, or save it for a chilly autumn evening, or a snowy winter afternoon. It will lighten up your day regardless (mostly because you will be thankful you are not Mags Grimsdale!)