City of Silver by Annamaria Alfieri

This is Annamaria Alfieri's first novel. She is a student of Latin American history, and her careful research shows in every detail in this book.

The story is about the events that lead up to and include the visit of the Grand Inquisitor to the City of Potosi in Chile. Potosi is the center of the silver lode in 17th century South America and the home to both sin and corruption and some saintly good works.

The saint is represented by Mother Maria Santa Hilda, the Abbess of the powerful Convent of Santa Isabella de los Santos Milagros. One of the convent's novices is found dead and the Abbess chooses to bury her in sacred ground, even though she cannot prove right away that the girl did not commit the mortal sin of suicide. When she is taken by the Inquisition for the crime of heresy her Sister Herbalist and the Father Confessor of the convent are left to resolve the issue of what killed the girl.

There is also considerable interplay between two rival families, both of whom lost their daughters to the convent when the girls disobeyed their fathers. There is considerable social commentary about the fate of women during the 17th century in Spain and her colonies, the miserable working conditions for the conscripted Indian miners, the rivalry between Spanish and Portuguese inhabitants of Potosi, secret debasing of silver coins and the King's punishment for this crime, colorful holidays and festivals, herbal remedies and poisons known by the Incas, costumes and weapons of the day, details on the Inquisition, and many other historical and cultural details. For those who enjoy this period of history and wish to know more about Latin American history while enjoying the excitement of a mystery novel-- this is the ticket.

I will say that I was a little confused and bored at first. I persisted and after the first 10 or 15 pages I got into the time period and locale and began to let the puzzle of how the novice died carry me into the details of the book. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, or matte, but those who like historical mysteries and Latin American history will probably appreciate the painstaking detail in this book.

Good first novel.

Liz Nichols

31 Hours by Masha Hamilton

In the hours following 9/11 it's especially appropriate that my review is for Hamilton's "31 Hours," a dark exploration into the thought process of a domestic terrorist. Masha Hamilton is the perfect novelist to tell this tale. She is not only an accomplished fiction writer, but also a journalist with experience in such hot spots as Afghanistan, Russia, the Middle East and Africa. She understands how
Americans are seen in developing countries and she has obviously very carefully thought through how such a disaster as is told in "31 Hours" could happen-- very easily.

The plot is entirely plausible: a jihadist alien resident from Saudi Arabia has recruited a seemingly normal white, middle class student from New York City to be among the suicide bombers to detonate explosions in the major subway and rail stations in New York City on a given day and time.

We follow the last 31 hours of this young terrorist's life (or we assume it is) We watch as the terrorist, Jonas, shaves himself from head to toe. We don't necessarily get an explanation of why each of the rituals performed is important to the pre-suicide bomber protocol. We just know that the many activities and prayers that Jonas offers in that last 31 hours are on the list that Masoud, his Saudi friend, has given him following his return from terrorist training in Pakistan.

Jonas' reasons for this impending action are given, but most Americans will find it very hard to identify with his concerns. Essentially, Jonas believes that it takes extreme violence to end American intrusion into the affairs of other countries. He believes that other countries will back away from supporting U.S. imperialism if the price exacted by terrorists is truly fearsome. Somehow Jonas doesn't see that violence actually begets more violence most of the time. Perhaps the mindset is similar to that of the U.S. government when they dropped the atomic bomb. In that case, extreme violence did beget peace, but only because Japan was too weak by that time to continue.

This is an extremely well written, chilling psychological thriller that delves into the dark recesses of the mind of a terrorist. It is highly recommended.

Liz Nichols

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum is at her prime in this zany installment about the attractive bail bond enforcer and her memorable entourage of family, friends, co-workers, and boyfriends. There are more blow ups and burned out cars and apartments in this book than in any previous one that I can recall, for those who like this type of pyrotechnics.

Stephanie has her usual collection of bond violations to enforce-- a flasher, an octogenarian with a beef against his dentist, a pyro-maniac, and a career criminal who will kill if given the chance. Mixed in are a couple of major plots-- Lulu is in danger of being whacked literally by a mob enforcer who cuts off his victims' heads. Lulu witnessed a gruesome beheading and is now in grave peril of the same fate. The other major plot line has to do with Ranger, Stephanie's sometime boss and love interest, who needs her help to solve who is breaking in to the buildings his security company has set up on alarm systems. The burglaries seem to be happening right under the noses of Rangeman employees.

As usual, Stephanie has a hard time deciding whether she likes Ranger or police detective, Joe Morelli better. In this round Ranger seems to be winning.

As always, a fast and entertaining read.

Liz Nichols

In a Guilded Cage by Rhys Bowen

Bowen has brought the story about Molly Murphy, transplant to New York City from Ireland in the beginning of the 20th century to new heights. She helps to discover whether young women friends of hers are dying of influenza or they're being poisoned. She is also deeply involved in an investigation about what happened to the parents of one of these friends, Emily, while they were supposedly missionaries in China 20 years earlier.

Meanwhile, the information she comes up with helps her beau, Police Captain Daniel Sullivan to solve some crimes having to do with the opium trade and smuggling in drugs from China.

It appears that in one of the upcoming Bowen books about Murphy he will marry her off to the dashing police captain. When she does, will he lock her into the "guilded cage" and away from her detective work? One of the main themes in the book is about how women in the 19th and early 20th centuries were almost prohibited from working outside the home once they married. Ambitious women had a real dilemma whether to follow affairs of the heart or the mind.

Good read, as usual, from Bowen.

Liz Nichols

I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming

This is about the 6th novel by Spencer-Fleming, and the experience shows in her ability to spin a gripping and compelling tale and to draw readers in to being concerned about her characters. The author is a multiple award-winner, and deservedly so.

Our heroine, Clare Fergusson, is an Episcopal priest and an Air Force reservist who toward the end of the book gets deployed to Iraq. This put a rather serious delay on the budding romance with the Millers Kill upstate New York Police Chief, Russ Van Alstyne.

The mystery revolves around discovering who is killing Mexican farm workers. It brings out deep-seated prejudice within the community that Clare needs to deal with inside her congregation. These issues are handled sensitively and make this book a more meaningful and deeper read than the average mystery.

I really look forward to reading more Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne mysteries.

Liz Nichols

The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian

This is Michael Zadoorian's second novel. He also has published short stories. Zadoorian lives in the Detroit area, which is where the characters of "The Leisure Seeker," Ella and John Robina, have lived all their lives.

Ella and John now find themselves in their 80s and near the end of their lives. He has moderate Alzheimers and Ella has been told she has end stage cancer. They decide to take one more journey across the country, following Route 66 as much as possible, in their Leisure Seeker camper. Their children and doctors are, of course, opposed.

The book is beautifully written as Ella's observations as they travel from spot to spot, visiting shabby diners and motels, ghost towns, desert byways, and tacky tourist traps from Michigan to their destination, Disneyland in California. Some of the descriptions of sunsets, sunrises, and scenery are breathtaking. The often comical and nonsensical dialogue between Ella and the half-there John are reminders that we each will face issues of growing old. The situations that they get in to on this last journey are both poignant and humorous.

The only thing I don't find as convincing about this book is the voice of the main character, Ella. Her voice is more male than female in many cases, perhaps because of the author's perspective. There are some crusty old broads out there-- like Flo from Mel's Diner or most of the characters that Kathy Bates plays, but most women of Ella's age would find her language and the way she solves problems to be a little offensive. This issue bothered me less as the book went on, but I would say that the book is not for people who expect 80 year old women to be genteel.

With that one caveat, I recommend this book to lovers of travel novels and novels about end of life and old age issues.

Liz Nichols

Living the Vida Lola by Misa Ramirez

"Living the Vida Lola" is a first novel by Latina-by-marriage author, Misa Ramirez. Ramirez is a native Californian transplant to Dallas, Texas. This novel inaugurates the Lola Cruz Mystery Series.

Dolores Cruz is a 20-something PI working for the Camacho agency in Sacramento, California. She's a bit of a Stephanie Plum knock-off. The fact that Lola mentions Plum at one point makes it clear that the author has this Evanovich character in mind to some extent. They are similar in age, profession, and similar in the close ethnic family ties that they have. Cruz's 'hood is an older area of Sacramento where she grew up with her Mexican-American family and friends-- and a crush on a non-Latino guy from high school, Jack Callaghan, who is now a Sacramento Bee reporter.

Part of the plot line is the budding romance with Callaghan, and part getting ready for Lola's niece's quinceanera, and the business part is to solve the disappearance and murder of a local woman-- which she does with the help of Jack and a rival PI from her office, Sadie Metcalf.

The character of Lola grew on me, and by the end of the book I was looking forward to the next installment of this mystery series. I like the feisty-ness of this character, and her somewhat unusual value system for a PI. (She does not believe in carrying a gun.)

I did find the book was a little slow to get in to action and the characters got a little confusing at first so it was hard to concentrate on moving quickly from chapter to chapter. The text does not flow as smoothly as the works of more experienced mystery authors, but then, this is a first novel.

There is plenty here to like and to look forward to in future installments.

Liz Nichols