“The Crack in the Lens”

 

Ahhh...a cold case murder in the hill country of Texas. Five years cold. One bad sheriff, one sorta bad/sorta good marshal. PROSTITUTES (chippies). A love interest. Jack-the-Ripper, Texas style (Texas Jack). Holmes’ “method” is put to the test. A hanging tree. Explosions. A preacher. Justice. The life of a prostitute is not always easy. The how’s and why’s are as individual as the women themselves. The fact that many married and led “normal” lives is a testament to the men who really loved them. Of course, the brothers prevail in solving the case. Huzzah! Time for the next installment!

“The Black Dove”

 

#3 of 6

I was looking forward to reacquainting myself with Old Red and Big Red, solving mysteries “Holmes style.” I also had the pleasure of being reacquainted with Doc Chan and Diana Corvus (from book #2). San Francisco’s Chinatown and the Barbary Coast set the tone for this adventure. Chinese tongs, hatchet men, and murder(s). Anti-Chinese sentiment, corrupt SF coppers, and prostitution. SCORPIONS! Although at times confusing, I knew Old Red would figure it out using his detecting skills. The twist at the end caught me off guard. Looking forward to the next installment!

“Miss Kopp Investigates”

Installment #7

Yes, there are all the usual suspects...Constance, Norma, and Fluerette. However, the one doing the detecting is not who you think. Where, in the past we have been regaled with tales of Contance’s law enforcement career, and Norma’s love of pigeons, this installment is all about Fluerette (which is just how she would prefer it). As the nation works on putting itself back together after WWI and the Spanish Flu epidemic - the Kopp sisters do the same. Long before women’s suffrage, the sisters continue to find their way in a man’s world, both individually and collectively. I loved all the historic details. The “work-arounds” to obtain their goals. Secrets still kept. But, in the end, it is family that prevails. Kopp Sisters Detective Agency...so what’s next for the ladies?

“The Vigilante Game”

 

The Frame Up #1

The Queen Con #2

The Vigilante Game #3

Drugs. Queens. Comics. What more could you ask for? The Golden Arrow. The Hooded Falcon. The Sassy Dragon. Superheroes en masse. The plot line had as many twists and turns as Lawrence has stage costumes. Secret rooms. Double “agents.” Coded messages hidden in a graphic novel. Loved all the references to movies, tv, and comics. Molin tied up loose ends and gave me the happily-ever-after ending I was hoping for!

“Lyin’ Eyes”

INSTALLMENT #13!!! 

It was great to visit with the gang again. Ellison, Anarchy, Grace, Max, and of course, Frances. I think what struck me the most was the social constraints of the seventies, especially equal pay for equal work regardless of gender. Making a living wage...hmmm, that sounds familiar. History recycling itself? The other thing that struck me was Ellison finding her voice. I grew up in the seventies (Grace and I have a lot in common) and all the while I was reading I was thinking about my mother. How did the seventies affect her? Did she gain a voice? 

So much to mull over….looking forward to the next installment!!

“Rocket Boys”

My grandson, Jeff (13), is reading this book as part of his language arts class. Since I taught eighth grade, he has asked me, several times, if I had read this book. After telling him “no,” several times, I decided to read the book…

“Well, don’t blow yourself up.” (40) 

Coal mining. West Virginia. Company town. Sputnik. The space race was “on.” Ambitious, curious, fearless. The Big Creek Missile Agency. What they lacked in knowledge they made up for with drive and perseverance. They never quit. 

Hickman’s story was about so much more than teenage boys embracing the space race by learning how to build rockets. Family dysfunction. Being a company man. A disappointed father. A mother that finds a way out of the coal town, for herself and her boys. What it means to be part of a community. Hickman also shows a glimpse of Americana that existed in our not too distant past. Unconditional love. Learning to live and appreciate one's environment...with out blowing it up.

I don’t know if this had the happily-ever-after ending I was hoping for, but in reading the epilogue, the ending played out according to life’s plan. Now it’s time to text my grandson and have a chat...

“Baseball in the Garden of Eden”

I am a self-proclaimed history geek. I love historical fiction. I will read non-fiction just to learn or clarify something. I also LOVE baseball. So John Thorn’s book was a perfect fit.

To debunk the myth of Abner Doubleday creating the modern game of baseball, Thorn digs through history to find the supporting evidence. Cricket > Rounders > 2 Cat > 3 Cat > Baseball. Our national sport, just like our nation, sprung from our English roots. There is no shame in that. So why did early historians of the game feel the need to give the sport an alternative origin story? Pride? Power? Greed? Love? Money? (...all the usual suspects) Whatever it was, Thorn digs out more information about the origins of baseball than I ever thought possible AND he was able to throw in a little historical love interest to boot!

Now, it’s time for the end of the season and the playoffs! Go Giants!!