In the mood for a new mystery series, I decided to check out the Tess Monaghan books by Laura Lippman. They're compulsively readable, inspiring me to proceed to the next in the series practically immediately, but I found I hadn't much to say about each. Therefore, a column of brief reviews was clearly called for! Baltimore Blues introduces us to 29-year-old Baltimore native … [Read more...] about Tess Monaghan, Books 1-4 by Laura Lippman
The CMX Project: Cipher
MICHELLE: Hello, and thanks for joining us for the second installment of The CMX Project, in which we turn our attention to Cipher! (Please kindly overlook the fact that this column was promised for February; life has a nasty habit of upending one's plans.) This month we'll also have a special guest, but before the big reveal, how about another of your fabulous summaries, … [Read more...] about The CMX Project: Cipher
Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
Book description: It was a senselessly violent crime: on a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse an elderly farmer is bludgeoned to death, and his wife is left to die with a noose around her neck. And as if this didn’t present enough problems for the Ystad police Inspector Kurt Wallander, the dying woman’s last word is "foreign," leaving the police the one tangible clue … [Read more...] about Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
The CMX Project: Land of the Blindfolded
MICHELLE: Welcome to the first installment of a new feature called The CMX Project. Back in October, Karen Peck and I talked about the CMX series Canon for that month's Manga Moveable Feast, and had such fun that we decided to start a recurring feature focusing on some of the other series they released during their all-too-brief time with us. For the most part these will be … [Read more...] about The CMX Project: Land of the Blindfolded
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann
From the back cover: On a hillside near the cozy Irish village of Glennkill, the members of the flock gather around their shepherd, George, whose body lies pinned to the ground with a spade. George has cared for the sheep, reading them a plethora of books every night. The daily exposure to literature has made them far savvier about the workings of the human mind than your … [Read more...] about Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann