Can NOT say the same (see Kate Morton entry, below) for the latest Tasha Alexander "Lady Emily" mystery, Dangerous to Know. I think I picked up the first book in the series, And Only to Deceive) used or something, cheap paperback for sure, maybe before a trip? And I enjoyed it; not the most original or brilliant book, but I liked it, and it was fun, in that "independent before her (Victorian) time" genre. I know I read the second and third ones, but I don't really remember them; I guess they were fine enough, though, because as I recall (and as I could check in this blog, I think - go, online record keeping!) I was kind of itching to get the fourth in the series, Tears of Pearl, when it came out. Also don't remember much about what I thought of it, except that I knew the next book would be demoted to a lower-anticipation-level. And now I'm done. This most recent book was a fine, if workman-like affair, but I'm over it. Neither the characters nor the plot really held me at all, and while I wouldn't say I will never read another book starring Lady Emily and Colin, I have no desire to seek the next one out.
The other book I got at the same time, and another entry in a series I've enjoyed in the past, fared better - A Stranger in Mayfair, by Charles Finch. I liked the other three books in the series; again, nothing super new here, I am sure there is a massive library of Victorian gentleman / amateur detective books, but there are several nicely delineated characters, in addition to the hero, and I appreciated that they were all developed over the course of the series. My issue with this book is that it was just so f***ing obvious from very early on who the killer was, so it was a little boring as far as the mystery. And while there were some momentous (and gratifying) events in the main characters' lives, no significant character development. But it was a fun read - I started it a little before 5:00 a.m. this moring, before going to bed, and then read it on and off (mostly on) throughout the rest of the day, finishing around 4:00 p.m. (it's a slim volume, obviously). Good for a not hungover, but sleepy, kinda cold, under the covers sort of day. And no gratuitous sex, thank God, so I may recommend it to my dad - I gave him the first two books to read when I finished them (I had bought them; this one and the last I got from the library.)
And....that's it. That's what I've been reading the last week and a half or so. I think - can't think of anything else I might have missed, anyhow. I've been super busy with work, both jobs, so I imagine that's all of them.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
More books, Pt. 2
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