Reflections A to Z

It’s been a journey reading mystery authors A to Z. Before Wendy and I start with a new set of mysteries, I wanted to say a few words to wrap up my part of the effort.  We began the A-Z author trip as a lark that wound up with about a year and a half of reading books that might never have come under our reading radar.  With a deliberate purpose of choosing an author purely by the letter of their name was usually easy, but the more difficult letters like X, the  website “Stop You’re Killing me” bailed these humble bloggers more than once. I have to admit I read a few crazy stories and what I called orphan titles that likely never had wide circulation in their day.  I went to libraries, book stores big and small, and second-hand bookstores galore. I was fortunate to get some cool feedback, including two of the authors responding to my posts on their books.  Other cool things that happened were contact from a videographer and also from a man that maintains a website about one of my authors.  At one point I was humbled when I dared to be a bit harsh and really critique a book.  I held back a bit at the risk of being pompous and being rude to the author.  The author contacted me directly and I really was glad I had modified my post.  It turns out that jumping into a series without really knowing a back story and then judging the series based on one book can be a problem.  Again it was part of the growing pains of being a blogger that writes about books.  I loved every minute of it and look soon for the next part of the journey of two friends who blog about mysteries with very different points of view.  To those of you who read our posts, thank you for playing along.

A to Z Rewind

Authors A to Z, in order, in a year proved to be more difficult than I originally imagined but also quite a bit of fun. As we prepare for our next challenge, it seems like a good opportunity to review the good parts and the not-so-successful. For good parts, I have to include reading and becoming a fan of several new authors, and protagonists. Colin Cotterill immediately comes to mind along with Gail Bowen, Vincent O'Neill and more. Since we (Sue Wargo & I) had agreed to only read authors we had never read before, I became familiar with new characters and styles.
Now we are off on a new venture: mysteries from every state. Follow us as we travel around our country, meeting some new authors and revisiting some old favorites. See how long it takes us to complete our countrywide adventure.
We have to thank our local librarian, Alison Boutagh, Thompson Public Library, for the idea and always, the website, Stopyourekillingme.com for valuable resources.
Stay tuned!!!

"One Dead Drag Queen" by Mark Richard Zubro

This is the book that I found to conclude our A to Z mystery author quest.  I found One Dead Drag Queen by Mark Richard Zubro in a second hand book store in NH.  The story begins with a massive city explosion in a city in Illinois that involves the partner(lover) of gay baseball player Scott Carpenter.  Now this is copyrighted in 2000 and written after Oklahoma City bombing but before New York City & 9/11.  This is part of a series that Zubro started in 1989 and concluded in 2006.  Scott's partner Tom is gravely hurt in the explosion and you find that Scott as a major league baseball player had "come out" as a gay man in a major sports field at a time that it was still a pretty shocking thing to do.  There is under tones of homophobia that would have been rampant at that time and that played a lot in the red herrings that Zubro placed around the plot.  There was an abortion clinic that was bombed also and you find yourself wondering along with Scott if that is the true reason for the bombing.  One of the characters is a man with a trademark "drag queen' persona and is found dead later in the story.  The intertwining of politics, religious undertones relating to abortion rights and a gay couple in the mix was interesting and compelling.  I found that some references made about Tom & Scott are now dated.  But I was able to enjoy the story and transcend.  Zubro writes a tight story. I checked his blog which has not had a post in a very long time.  But he now writes in collaborations with others and I think I would seek out his work to see where life has taken him now. Zubro won a Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Men's Mystery.  Check out the 'Stop you're killing me' mystery web page fora list of his books.  I was unable to find these books in the cwmars library system so this series may have passed it's day but are available second hand through re-sellers.

The Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

I mined this book from my stack of "going to read" books piled on my bookshelf. Since I desperately needed a "Z" author to complete this challenge, I didn't both checking reviews or even the inside cover.
The "Prophesy of the Sisters" by Michelle Zink is certainly NOT one of the currently popular feel-good sister stories. In fact, these two 16-year-old twins are adversaries in a battle even they do not fully appreciate. One is good and one is evil; both have allies. A recently discovered and very scary book, tattoo-like markings, and becoming orphans and all clues to the mystery regarding not only the girls' fates but also their past. Even though set in the 1800s, it was easy to relate the story to present day problems. Teenage rivalry, angst, drama and outright hysteria not to mention jealousy and quest for power are all part of the plot. Even the end of this book is not the end of the story as the sisters' struggles have now turned into a trilogy. All books are available through Amazon and other booksellers.

Speak for the Dead by Margaret Yorke

Although published in 1988, this suspenseful and disturbing mystery has characters and issues that are just as believable today. I hadn't read any of Yorke's books for quite awhile but knew I would when I finally reached the letter "Y" in our blog challenge. "Speak for the Dead" lived up to my expectation completely. Carrie, the protagonist, is a hostile and belligerent criminal from the time she hits 16. Stealing and prostitution are justified by her somewhat convoluted mental processes. She is not a likable character yet many men fall under her spell. While the story of Carrie is woven on one hand, it is the machinations of fate being woven by Yorke on the other direction in which Carrie, herself, becomes a victim.
I am encouraged to continue to read some of Yorke's many other mysteries. The Yorke style is crisp and uncluttered with unnecessary adjectives. Her descriptions of British lifestyles and clothing are never-the-less right on. Although this book is several decades old, it could just as easily have been written today. The motivations and deceptions could happen anywhere as the theme of man versus society plays out to a surprisingly gratifying ending.
Margaret Yorke was born in 1924, had her first of more than 20 books published in 1957. Yorke served as chairman of the Crimefighters Writers Association in 1979-80. She was awarded the Crime Writers Association Cartier Diamond award IN 1999; Golden Handcuffs Award, in recognition of her popularity within the UK library service and its borrowers in 1993 and the Martin Beck Award from the Swedish Academy of Detection in 1982. I found my copy at the Thompson (CT) Public Library which has an extensive collection of both books and audiotapes which means that both are available throughout the Connecticut Library System as well as on Amazon and other sources.

"A Nice Murder for Mom" by James Yaffe

This cozy little mystery was a random choice to fill my "Y" requirement for the blog.  I found this orphan gem in a used book store in central New Hampshire and it was a charming mystery that lead Yaffe to write a short series that began in the late 80's.  So when NYC cop Dave decides to start life over after the death of his wife, he takes a job as a chief investigator in Mesa Grande, Colorado.  Dave becomes entwined in solving the murder of a college professor.  (There are interesting cultural and racial overtones that written today might be a little cliche, but were easy to overlook for the sake of the plot.)  Dave's Mom decides to come  for an extended visit and immediately becomes involved as a sort of Jessica Fletcher-type and CSI combo that becomes embroiled in the solving of the crime..  Mom always seems to be one step ahead of cop son Dave and is constantly pitching the latest theory with much credibility.  This has a little dated material as it is set the the 80's but it's still a good story and worthy of your time if you want a quick mystery.  So check out that random orphan book that comes your way in a used book store, or library stack, or from a friend.  You may find your next enjoyable read.

Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong

First in a series of four novels, this book is so much more than just a mystery. It is an introduction to life in modern day China, more specifically Shanghai. Det.Chen Cao is not your typical crime fighter. Instead, he is an intellectual with degree in literature who has been chosen by the party hierarchy to serve with the police. Discovery in a lonely canal of the body of a “model citizen” set Chen off on a case which brings him into conflict with some of the highest party members. How he manages to pursue his case in spite of numerous setbacks, threats, and bureaucracy at its worst makes for a wonderful and engaging story. Red Heroine is liberally sprinkled with quotes from poets both ancient and modern, insights into real Chinese cuisine, lifestyle, architecture and perhaps most important politics. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational book. For more about Det. Chen read my co-blogger's description of the second book in the series.
Qiu Xiaolong came to the United States in 1988 to do research for a book on T. S. Eliot. In the aftermath of the Tienanmen Square riots, it was discovered that he had donated money to the Chinese students and he was forced to stay in this country.
Death of a Red Heroine won the Anthony Award for best first novel in 2001.