Land of a Hundred Wonders by Lesley Kagen

This inspiring story of a young woman with a traumatic brain injury may very well turn out to be my favorite book of 2010. Yes, it is a mystery. In fact, although the main mystery involves a murdered man, there are many other mysteries such as how old the main character is, what happened to her parents and many more. The biggest question is asked by Gibby, herself, will she ever change from NQR (Not Quite Right) to QR? The process she goes through is quite amazing and frequently humorous. Her misuse of words both aloud and in print would put Mrs. Malaprop to shame. Every single character inspired an emotional response, some positive - I was really routing for Gibby and her friend, Billy but disgusted by the sheriff and others and could certainly empathize with Grandpa who was caring for his injured granddaughter. The struggle with racism in the1970s also plays a big part in the events. Perhaps the overriding theme of the story is "change" in many ways while good vs. evil is also a major player. I was drawn to the book as it was advertised as being about a young girl with intellectual disabilities who has her own weekly newspaper. And, it is that, but it is so much more, I find myself practically begging my friends to read it - just so we can share ideas. I got my copy from paperbackbookswap.com. Amazon has it. Since Kagen is a best selling author I am sure most libraries can obtain copies. Try it!

"The Cold Dish" by Craig Johnson

If you read enough mystery novels you are well acquainted with the phrase "Revenge is a dish best served cold," from "Les Liaisons Dangereuses." Many novels use this ploy in some facet of their mystery novel. This is the starting point for Craig Johnson's first mystery novel featuring Walt Longmire. The character has been sheriff in Absaroka County in Wyoming on the outskirts of a Cheyenne Reservation. When you read the plot on the back of the book you find what might be taken as a predictable story. Native American girl is raped by a group of white young men and the justice is not seemingly meted out fairly. As the story begins, one of the young men has been shot dead and there the story begins. The cast of characters are humorous but also tragic. The setting truly incredible and Johnson has the writing ability to make you smell the campfires and see the beautiful mountain vistas and feel the cold of an early season snow storm. I was thinking throughout the book that maybe this was a 'guy' story and while it was good, I wasn't sure I'd want to read another. But then the story hit a twist. (no I won't give it away). I am now a believer. This is a series worth checking and I really got lucky just choosing a "J" book from a book store shelf. Johnson has won awards for his writing and you can readily see why. After finishing the book I plan to look for more and also recommend for a mystery book group choice. The paperback version comes with reading questions in the back. Examination of Native American culture and American West culture as it interacts in the American Justice system would be food for much discussion. Fans of Tony Hillerman, James Doss and others that write for similar audiences would love this book.

A Handful of KIngs by Mark Jacobs

As spy mysteries go, this one was rather imaginative with a female protagonist. Vicki who has had enough of the foreign service tries to leave her job and her lover, fellow agent, Wyatt. She is drawn into the mystery of a writer who contacts her before she leaves Madrid and from there the twists and turns the story takes are frequent and sometimes confusing. Author Mark Jacobs has penned other mysteries and takes the reader through a maze of possibilities. This type of story is not my favorite but I stuck it out as I felt that the spy mystery had to be part of this blog adventure. Truthfully, I did not care much about the characters but the setting and activities in the book rang true. The question, of course, is does she live, does she get out of her job, does her lover survive, do they get back together and so on. It was an okay book but not particularly thought provoking.

Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner

Picture Paris in 1889 and the opening of the Eiffel Tower as part of the Universal Exposition that happened there that year. That is the setting of "Murder on the Eiffel Tower" by Claude Izner. A vistor to the tower on opeing day falls ill and dies of an apparent bee sting, but others around aren't so sure. As more random people seem to be stung by killer bees, the news media of the day begin to look into what is happening and why . This is a first book from two second-hand bookstore owners from Paris who collaborated to create this emerging mystery series with the lead character Victor Legris. Victor himself is a bookseller and mingles with people who are investigating what happened to all these people and feels that the media aren't doing a very good job. Books with historical setting don't tend to be a favorite, but I enjoyed this one. The authors who are considered to be experts on the period of Paris in the late 1880's created an atmosphere that made me feel like I was strolling the various streets and could almost smell the food on the street carts. You find interesting facts along the way such as the cost to go on the Tower was 4 francs which would have been a whole weeks pay for most people of that time. So even in the era of the fair, going up the Tower would have been a luxury. The twists among characters include Kenji who is a part owner of the bookstore and also a surrogate father, and Tanya a Russian illustrator who develops as a love interest but also a suspect. The twists and turns are well written and the attention to detail of the times impeccable. The next book is "Disappearance at PereLachaise"which incorporates the artist community of Paris in this time period. I highly recommend this book. It wasn't bad for a random pick from a bookstore.

"Third Degree" by Greg Iles

Finding mysteries by authors whose names started with "I" was a little difficult so I ventured off to the Library Book sale in Thompson in search of a book by Greg Iles. I knew Iles to be popular and I was successful. This story was more a thriller than a mystery and followed a fairly common plot line of romantic triangle, thwarted husband, noble lover, and endangered children, not to mention nosy neighbor. Even so, it was engaging and used modern technology to heighten the atmosphere. Who would have thought of using a second cellphone for secret call? I read right through it in prompt time and would certainly read another. This was a stand alone book and not part of series.

"Ghostland" by Jean Hager

I really have no specific reason for choosing this book. I headed into the stacks at the Thompson Public Library and took the first mystery with an author whose name started with "H". I have always been interested in American Indian stories and this one did not disappoint. Once I got past the fact that the Police Chief's name was Mitch Bushyhead, I was off and running trying to figure out who killed the 8-year-old girl who was reported missing. There were plenty of red herrings and suspects to think about. A subplot about Mitch's love life really didn't interfere with the story. Character development was not significant however this was not the first book in the series. Set in Cherokee country in Oklahome, the story was realistic in its portrayal of life on a reservation and also of the reactions of various parents to murder, loss, and even some interesting plot twists that I will not reveal here. I would define this as an easy read mystery and definitely recommend it.

"Jelly's Gold" by David Housewright

Jelly's Gold is the 6th book in the series about PI Rushmore (Mac) McKenzie by David Housewright. When a graduate student (Ivy) comes to Mac and tells a story about lost gold from a bank robbery from 1933, Mac finds the story plausible and sets off to investigate and quickly finds out that the loot now worth $8 million is also being sought by others. Ivy's boyfriend is murdered outside her apartment just after making the decision to search for the money. Based loosely on a real crime of Frank "Jelly" Nash who robbed a bank in Huron, South Dakota in 1933, the money really was never found. This story is a mixture of real life stories and exploits with a fictional gold chase. The character does a lot of research and finds out a rich and colorful history of the city's infamous past, including that the nickname Jelly came from Nash's use of nytroglycerin to blow up safes. I had no idea that St. Paul Minnesota had been a haven of gangsters in the day. The only downside for me in this book which was a great story and a fairly easy read was the history behind the characters which came from previous novels on this main character. Many authors fill you in on the connections and this one left out a few details. I would love to read more in this series. I enjoyed the blend of history and fact with fiction. Everyone loves a treasure hunt and this one will not dissappoint. I chose this book because it was the Thompson Public Library Mystery Club choice for May. These books are available at many libraries in the area.