Hello readers.
It’s the best time of the year: sowing time! Is anyone else gardening? I have containers that spread on the window and under grow lights. I bought the grow lights last year in an effort to get a few stragglers to spend the winter after the remains of Hurricane Ida wiped out my roof garden (RIP, 2021 roof garden). The grow lights, which fluoresce next to my desk, eventually functioned as those therapy lights used to treat seasonal affective disorders: Not only did my plants last, but my mood was one of Wordsworthian merriment through the dark months. I love a multifunction device!
The smell of fertile soil also seems to have mood-elevating properties. A friend who is a perfume lover warned me that you can buy synthetic versions of the fragrance online, which I did, and on days when I don’t leave the house because I have to read 1000 books for work, I treat myself to a to rummage through the old dirt bottle. No matter what…
†Molly
The original Kirkus review for this 1941 whodunit compares it to both satin and velvet. I gather from the review that “satin” refers to the softness of the prose and “velvet” to the romantic subplot of the novel. If I contributed additional fabric comparisons, I’d choose cotton (flammable), denim (ages well), and lace (intricate pattern).
This is Nancy Drew for adults. A wealthy family has gathered at a pine-fenced estate on the shores of Lake Superior, only to find their idyll shattered by a series of evil pranks that escalate to murder. Only one woman, the indomitable Ann Gay, is brave enough to finger the culprit – by setting herself up as human bait!
Somewhat forgotten, “The Chuckling Fingers” has puzzle twists and clear dialogues. After swallowing it, I read all of Mabel Seeley’s books and found only one of equal quality (“The Listening House”). The rest is below average. But it does not matter; we all agree that two outstanding mysteries are important contributors to society.
Read if you want: The 1944 movie “Gaslight”, “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier, Eavesdropping, Taking Liberties, Minnesota
Available from: Republished by Berkley or available in other forms at your thrift bookstore of choice
At age 65, a woman known as Hornclaw does herself to be inconspicuous. Wearing muted clothes, she invites you to glance as she flips through the Bible on her subway commute. Hidden beneath the understated face, however, is a killer with a heart of ice. That’s right! Hornclaw works for an exclusive agency of hitmen in South Korea.
Now approaching retirement age, Hornclaw is considering hanging up her knives and opening a chicken coop, or perhaps making a switch to the world of dry cleaning. But when a mission from the past returns to haunt her, all plans for a peaceful denouement vanish. pfft†
It seems that the original title of the book was “Bruised Fruit” or “Damaged Fruit”, both of which make more sense than the US version – because this is really an aging novel lightly adorned with crime thriller accessories. As someone who loves aging novels AND crime thrillers, I was thrilled to come across the mash-up. Dry humor is a staple of both, and it abounds here; one of Hornclaw’s colleagues is a disrespectful youngster whom she openly refers to as “the fetus.” You’ll probably run into HR problems if you do the same in your workplace, but you’ll never know unless you try!
Read if you want: Natsuo Kirino, alone time, cultivates an air of mystery, revenge, lurking and stealthy
Available from: HarperCollins
Why do not you go…
Kick Jennifer Egan’s “The Candy House” in your mouth and CRUNCH AWAY like there’s no tomorrow, which maybe there isn’t?
SHARPEN YOUR EYES about writing Manny Farber, knowing William Gibson called “Negative Space” his favorite book about movies?
Tear through a .’s bildungsroman QUIET VICIOUS narrator living in (what was then) colonial Rhodesia?
postscript: A friendly reader named Sandy sent an email to suggest a solution to the Google Doc problem described in the previous issue. Sandy suggested starting a new spreadsheet into which recommendations can be entered through this Google form. In theory, this will allow for the free and open exchange of recommendations, while preventing anyone from (accidentally, I hope, or drunk, but certainly not maliciously) deleting submissions.
We all know that elevating a process from one to two steps is a notorious barrier to entry, but I’m hopeful the document will get populated. I will watch often. Meanwhile, props to Sandy for ingenuity and help.
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