Between a Flock and a Hard Place

One of the fun aspects when reading this series of crime novels by Donna Andrews is when will the birds referred to in the title first make an appearance. In this thirty-fifth book in the series, a flock of wild turkeys make their presence felt right from the start. How and why did they all arrive in the one location in the town and who was responsible? Needless to say these questions are added to Meg's ever expanding to-do list.

In Between a Flock and a Hard Place, Meg sets out to inspect a home site which is being renovated as part of a television show. The locals are not impressed by the intrusion of the television crew in their lives but they are even less impressed when a flock of wild turkeys arrives in the middle of the night. Who brought the turkeys into their neighbourhood?

Meg and Randall Shiffley are even more concerned when they discover the state the house is in. As a number of the major supports have been removed Randall shuts down the site until repairs can be made. Meg, of course, offers to relocate those affected by the building project to rooms in her own house until it is safe for them to return home. Plans are made to capture the turkeys but as proceedings are about to begin a body is located in the house. Another project to be solved.

I look forward to these cosy crime novels published around this time each year. It is a joy to once again catch up with Meg and her family and the weird and usually amusing situations they find themselves in.

The Dark Wives

When a body is found in the grounds of a children's home Vera and her team investigate. Josh Woodburn, a university student, had only worked at Rosebank for six weeks when he died. But Vera and her team are not only investigating Josh's death. A fourteen year old girl - Chloe Spence - has also disappeared. Then a second body is found.

Rosie Bell is a new addition to the team, working with Joe, Charlie and Vera to solve the murders and locate Chloe. Vera greatly misses Holly who had died when working on a previous case. Would Rosie be able to fit in as a successful member of Vera's team? 

The Dark Wives is number 11 in the Vera Stanhope series written by Ann Cleeves. As the detectives work to solve the murders and locate Chloe the reader gets to experience much of the Northumberland scenery plus a glimpse of the history of the former coal mining area. Three large standing stones, the Dark Wives, feature throughout the novel.

Ann Cleeves has written another suspenseful character driven murder mystery which will keep readers involved until the novel's conclusion.

Madame Brussels: the life and times of Melbourne's most notorious woman

Much has been written about life in parts of Melbourne towards the end of the 19th century. One section in Lonsdale Street, near Parliament House, was well known for its brothels. Madame Brussels' establishments were the best known and were often visited by politicians, landowners and some senior police.

In Madame Brussels: the life and times of Melbourne's most notorious woman by Barbara Minchton and Philip Bently, the authors present the findings of their extensive research on the life and times of Madame Brussels.

Caroline Lohmar was born in Prussia. In 1871 she married Studholme George Hodgson in London before they travelled to Melbourne. When Stud joined the police force and relocated to northern Victoria, his wife needed to find a way of supporting herself so she gradually began establishing what were, for a short time, the most impressive brothels in Melbourne.

This study examines the facts known about the rise and fall of Caroline's business until the early 1900s. She gradually came to use the name Madame Brussels which added to the prestige of the operation. Much of the information for the book comes from court documents - she was tried before the court on a number of occasions - and newspaper reports. Especially towards the end of the nineteenth century there was a movement to remove brothels from the city and newspapers, particularly Truth, often produced long stories venting against women such as Madame Brussels and their industry.

An interesting account of an aspect of Melbourne's history.

By Any Other Name

Over the years much has been written about William Shakespeare and the many plays and poems he is credited with having written. Part of the speculation has occurred because little has been documented about the life of William Shakespeare. How did he receive the education to write the plays? How did he achieve the knowledge to write on the variety of topics and places depicted in his plays?  In By Any Other Name Jodie Picoult puts forward the theory that a number of writers wrote the plays that carry Shakespeare's name including a woman, Emilia Bassano.

The story is told in two time frames. In this work of historical fiction the life and writing of Emilia Bassano is portrayed as she attempts to have her writing recognised. Meanwhile in the twenty-first century Melina Green, a descendant of Emilia, is also attempting to have her own work published and performed.

In the novel, when she is thirteen Emilia becomes the mistress of the Lord Chamberlain until she becomes pregnant. She is then dismissed from the Lord Chamberlain's household and forced to marry a cousin who only wants her money. Kit Marlow introduces her to a man names Shakespeare who is prepared to pay her for her plays though she never receives any credit.

Meanwhile Melina Green has written a new play inspired by the life of her ancestor, but when a friend submits it to a competition without her permission, life suddenly becomes difficult for all involved. 

The novel is largely a discussion on the discrepancy of the value of a work of writing or art depending on whether it is produced by a man or a woman or a minority group. We learn much about life of women during Elizabethan England as they struggle to survive in a world largely dictated by men.

Throughout the book quotes from Shakespeare's plays and poems become part of the general text and a listing of these quotations appears at the end of the work. The author also includes information about many of the people who appear in the novel and admits that there is no concrete evidence as to how the plays attributed to Shakespeare were written. The debate continues. Meanwhile Jodi Picoult provides an interesting take on the debate in this work of historical fiction.

Musical - The Dark Lady 

Emilia Lanier (Bassano) - Wikipedia

Shakespeare's Dark Lady of Spitalfields - Spitalfields Life

Emilia Bassano Lanier - Historical Research - City Theatre

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen

Eliza Acton wants to be acknowledged as a poet. Her father arranged for one book of poetry to be published but she hopes this time that her work will be accepted by an established publisher. Instead she is told to write a recipe book. Needless to say she is not impressed with this reaction but when she starts looking at recipes in cookery books she realises that she could write a much better cookery book than those already published.

When her father becomes bankrupt, Eliza's mother sets up a boarding house and Eliza becomes the cook providing her with the opportunity to test recipes.  She needs a scullery maid to help her and Ann Kirby is employed in this role. Ann comes from a poor family where her father is an alcoholic and her mother is placed in an asylum. Ann has wanted to be a cook so this is a great opportunity for her although she feels guilty about not being able to look after her parents, especially her mother.

In the kitchen Eliza and Ann soon establish a strong working relationship as they experiment with recipes and ingredients. Existing recipes frequently did not list the quantities of ingredients to be used. As Eliza collects recipes for the book she plans to write, she makes a list of the required ingredients and the quantity required before writing instructions to prepare the dish. Eliza also continues to read poetry and write poems. 

The plot is revealed in alternate chapters through the voices of Eliza and Ann. The novel is about friendship, the joy of cooking and creativity with food.There is lots of food. It also explores the limited options for spinsters in the nineteenth century, especially if they are to gain some independence. Eliza's mother is not impressed with her daughter's plans and tries to persuade her not to admit that she actually cooks in the kitchen though it is acceptable if people know that she plans the recipes. The novel paints a picture of life for different parts classes of society at this time.

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen by Annabel Abbs is a work of historical fiction so many of the characters are based on real people though others, including Ann, have been created by the author. A selection of recipes is included at the end of the book plus a list of books for further reading and information about some of the real people and places mentioned in the novel. There is also a suggested list of questions for book groups.

The cookery book, Modern Cookery in all its Branches (later published as Modern Cookery for Private Families) was first published in 1845.

Eliza Acton - Modern Cookery in all its Branches - History in the Making

Eliza Acton - Wikipedia

Modern Cookery for Private Families - Wikipedia

Head to the Hills

Set in the peaceful Adelaide Hills, Head for the Hills by Tricia Stringer is the story of a community that is disrupted when it is proposed to build a hotel on the outskirts of the town. Opinion in the town is divided as to whether this proposal will benefit or harm the community.

Margot is definitely against the project and organises meetings and a petition to support the case of those who oppose the new project. Meanwhile her sister, Roslyn, has been given the task of ensuring that the wishes of the previous owner of the land on which the hotel is to be built are carried out. Gunther wanted money from the sale of the property to be used to assist those in need in the community. Then Amber arrived in the town escaping from domestic violence.

The story, told from the viewpoint of the three women, examines how communities and families can be split over an issue. Over time many in the community alter their minds about the issue, while others remain firm in their original decision.

Towards the end of the book Roslyn remarks to Amber that "Sisters can be complicated". Head for the Hills demonstrates that communities and families in general are also complicated and that relationships that appear strong can be fragile. How can community spirit and family cohesion be restored?

Tricia Stringer has written another thought-provoking book examining family relationships and the dynamics that make a community. Many thanks to Better Reading and H Q Fiction for a preview copy of this book.

The Hobbit

In the 1960s I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien. These joined my list of favourite books. I read The Hobbit to my three sons when they were young and they all later read The Lord of the Rings. When the films were released in the cinema we went to see them as a family group. This year my twelve year old grandson and I read and enjoyed the story of The Hobbit together.

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit and like other hobbits he enjoys the quiet life living in his hobbit hole in the hill. Then the wizard Gandalf visits Bilbo and Bilbo's life dramatically changes.A few days later there is a knock on Bilbo's door and a dwarf enters. Bilbo hurriedly organises afternoon tea. Before long his house is filled with dwarves and then Gandalf returns and tells Bilbo about the adventure they are to undertake together.

During the book Bilbo and the dwarves encounter elves, Gollum, spiders and many other characters including Smaug the dragon as they endeavour to retrieve the treasure that once belonged to the dwarves. This is a great magical adventure which can be enjoyed by adults as well as children.

In 2024, The Hobbit was one of the books that my grandson and I enjoyed reading together.

Murder in Punch Lane

Melbourne in 1868 was very different from the Melbourne of today. Jane Sullivan has set her novel, Murder in Punch Lane, around the world of the theatre at that time. This is a work of historical fiction providing a vivid picture of life in Melbourne in the 1860s. Many of the characters lived in Melbourne during the period when the novel is set. 

When Lola Sanchez visits her friend, the actress Marie St Denis, Lola finds Marie unconscious in her room. She appears to have taken an overdose of drugs but when Marie dies, Lola is convinced that her friend was murdered. 

Lola decides to seek the help of journalist, Magnus Scott to discover who killed her friend. Their endeavours often take them into the sleazy sections of society at that time and Lola and Magnus find their livelihood and lives in danger.

Living the Dream: 60 years in cricket & football

Journalist and author, Ken Piesse, has spent most of his life following sport - especially his favourite sports of cricket and Australian Rules Football. As a boy he followed these sports and later had the chance to write about them, meeting some of the main players of the game. He has been an avid cricketer since childhood and is still involved, more recently with the Australian Cricket Society. He has also spent much of his time talking about sport, including on P and O Cruises.

In Living the Dream Ken Piesse writes about many of the cricketers and footballers that he has met and written about as well as demonstrating his love of cricket both as a supporter and a player.

About Ken Piesse - Cricket Books .com

Normal Women: 900 years of making history

Looking at the historical record over the years, history has generally been told via the lives of men. In Normal Women, Philippa Gregory has used a variety of sources to look at the role of women in Britain during 900 years.

The book is divided into historical time-frames - 1066-1348 Doomsday; 1348-1455 Women Rising; 1455-1485 Women at War; 1485-1660 Becoming a Weaker Vessel; 1660-1764 Locked Out and Locked In; 1765-1857 Making a Lady; 1857-1928 Separate Spheres; 1928-1945 Into the World; 1945-1994 A Woman Today.

In each section the author looks at the way women have been treated by family and society including the power held by some women during some time frames. Sexual attitudes to women and their perceived role in the society in which they lived is also provided.

This is an informative, well referenced examination of the role of women in daily life and the life of the nation.

Detailed notes and a select bibliography appear at the end of the book along with the index.

The Estate

Sebastian Pallander, head of the large hedge fund company Pallander Glossop, dies while doing a television interview. When his family gather for the reading of the will some months later, they realise that most of the family fortune is missing. Then another member of the family dies and other family members are threatened.

Inspector Cara Salt, head the Succession, Inheritance and Executory (SIE) for Police Scotland in Glasgow, is surprised when she is asked to investigate but hopes that this investigation may help her to be taken more seriously in Police Scotland. DS Abernethy Blackstock is appointed as her assistant.

In The Estate by Denzil Meyrick the reader is taken on a tense journey as we follow the dangers encountered by family members and the progression of Cara's investigation. We also learn of events from the past in her police career with her former partner, Sorley MacLeod.

As with other books by Denzil Meyrick there is plenty of drama with many twists and turns as the author introduces an array of characters as the plot is revealed. There is also humour interspersed with the action. I suspect that we may meet Cara again in future novels.

Either Side of Midnight

Either Side of Midnight by Benjamin Stevenson is a sequel to his first novel, Greenlight. Sam and Harry Midford are twins born either side of midnight. Sam is the host of a television program, Midnight Tonight, which regularly appears on channel 14. Then one night during the opening monologue, Sam reaches for a gun taped under his desk and shoots himself.

When Jack Quick, a former television producer, is released from prison he is hired by Harry Midford to discover how his brother was murdered. As Jack investigates he discovers links to another suicide many years earlier that also have been a murder. He also gradually comes to understand the real relationship between the two brothers.

As the investigation continues Jack concludes that there are many ways to murder someone and also the definition of murder has evolved over the years. Benjamin Stevenson has written a gripping, sometimes dark, novel including a study of grief and and how families cope after the death of a loved one. It is also a study of the growing power of social media to influence people's lives and beliefs.

The Paris Cooking School

Having recently enjoyed reading A Secret Garden in Paris by Sophie Beaumont, I decided to read her previous novel set in Paris, The Paris Cooking School. I was not disappointed.

Sylvie Morel runs the Paris Cooking School where people from overseas countries can spend four weeks experiencing French cuisine. Eight people are in the class that Gabi Picabea and Kate Evans, two Australians, attend. The novel follows their experiences in France as they each endeavour to come to terms with other events in their lives as well as learning how to prepare French food. Sylvie has problems of her own as she discovers that someone is trying to sabotage the cooking school.

The stars of the book are Paris and the French food discussed in the book. As the cooking classes continue Gabi and Kate reassess their lives and how they want to live in the future. This is a book of friendship, love and hope as well as the magic of visiting the city of Paris, not to mention the mouth watering food.