The Queen's Accomplice - Review

The Queen's Accomplice (Maggie Hope Mystery #6) by Susan Elia MacNeal
Rating: Good
Source: Publisher

Description:  Spy and code-breaker extraordinaire Maggie Hope returns to war-weary London, where she is thrust into the dangerous hunt for a monster, as the" New York Times" bestselling mystery series for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Charles Todd, and Anne Perry continues. England, 1942. The Nazis relentless Blitz may have paused, but London s nightly blackouts continue. Now, under the cover of darkness, a madman is brutally killing and mutilating young women in eerie and exact re-creations of Jack the Ripper s crimes. What s more, he s targeting women who are reporting for duty to be Winston Churchill s spies and saboteurs abroad. The officers at MI-5 quickly realize they need the help of special agent Maggie Hope to find the killer dubbed the Blackout Beast. A trap is set. But once the murderer has his sights on Maggie, not even Buckingham Palace can protect the resourceful spy from her fate.

Genre: Mystery 

Why I Picked This Book: This is a series I've been wanting to try for awhile and the Jack the Ripper copycat was something I just couldn't pass up!  Plus, I just love the cover.

My Impression:  Despite being the 6th Maggie Hope mystery this is my first time meeting her and while not perfect I'm definitely glad I did!  Maggie is an interesting - she's an American who was in London settling her grandmother's estate when World War II broke out and has been taking part in the war effort for the UK ever since.  In this book Maggie's staying in London trying to get ready for her half-sister's arrival from Germany but despite her wish to have a more settled life trouble seems to find her when SOE women start turning up dead with references to Jack the Ripper.

There are a good number of side characters between Maggie's friends and her colleagues but while I got hints of various backstories I don't feel like it impaired my enjoyment of the mystery itself.  I liked seeing the different dynamics in the relationships.  Maggie leans into the Know-It-All zone quite a bit but for the most part she just reads as an intelligent and quick-witted character.  She brings up several points about the way women in active roles were treated during the war and the inequality not just in pay but in benefits and support as well.  This was fascinating and appalling but after awhile I kind of wished she would quit talking about it as I really just wanted to focus on the mystery.

The mystery was a page turner and I loved watching the investigation take it's course.  I did guess the killer pretty early on but for me this was more of a how is it going to wrap up mystery than a straight whodunit.  I also enjoyed DCI Durgin's character and hope he shows back up!  While the mystery itself is nicely concluded there are a number of threads left open that I'm looking forward to seeing how they work out.

Overall, I enjoyed this read.  At times Maggie got on my nerves but the mystery was very compelling and there are a number of interesting subplots that I would like to find out more about.  This wouldn't necessarily be an autobuy for me but I can guarantee when I see the next book at the library I'll definitely be picking it up!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes I would!  I'm curious to see more of the backstory as well as see what happens next!

Would I Recommend this Book?: I think fans of Maisie Dobbs would enjoy this series as well.  While different wars and different characters it had a similar feel to it.

This Week in Reading - November 6

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

Scheduled to Death by Mary Feliz - I really loved the first book in the series and am super curious to see where this book goes now that Maggie and the rest of the McDonald family are hopefully a bit more settled into their new home than they were in the first book!  (NetGalley)

Pursuit of a Parcel by Patricia Wentworth
and
Who Pays the Piper? by Patricia Wentworth - I'm so excited about both of these!  Patricia Wentworth is one of my very favorite mystery authors (2nd only to Agatha Christie herself) and these are 2 I've been wanting to read but couldn't find.  I snapped them up as soon as I saw them on NetGalley and can't wait to read them.  Prepare for a Patricia Wentworth project coming your way!  (NetGalley)

Currently:

Reading:  Finishing up Woman in White by Wilkie Collins and am planning to start Grape Olive Pig by Matt Goulding today.   Also The Flower Arrangement by Ella Griffin.

Listening:  Moonraker by Ian Fleming.  I've heard the movie is really dreadful but so far I must admit this is my favorite book!  It's kind of a softer side of Bond in a way.

Watching:  I'm catching up on Blindspot on Hulu and am liking it though it is does drift a little into over-angst.  J and I have been enjoying The Big Bang Theory though are on the fence about The Great Indoors.  I like the concept but the pilot was a little stilted.  Hoping it improves!

Off the Blog:

Halloween went well.  We did end up going with friends and while I was a little worried about it going in it ended up going really well and was lots of fun.  I've been sneaking Butterfingers, Baby Ruths and Snickers bars all week!  

Well I had my allergy test earlier this week.  I had one done before almost 20 years ago and while I remembered the skin pricks I had forgotten (or hadn't done) the shots portion of the event.  I've about had my fill of shots though I did throw in a flu shot because at that point I figured I might as well.  I was surprised to discover that I'm not allergic to that much but unfortunately the things I am allergic too I'm REALLY allergic too and the thing I happen to be really severely off the charts allergic too is dust mites.  Which are everywhere and impossible to completely get rid of.  Also, shrimp is trying to kill me so I now have my very own Epi-pen.  Is it possible to make those things any bigger?  How on earth do men carry them around?  This weekend is going to be spent allergy-proofing the bedroom using the paperwork and suggestions from the doctor.

I've spent a lot of this week boxing up books that I've been cramming into all available nooks and crannies.  It's been quite a to do trying to come up with a record keeping system so I have some hope of finding them again at some point!  Sorting through all the books has made me want to just curl up and read for hours but with all the organizing there hasn't been time!  I'm hoping next week allows for more reading time but is there really such a thing as enough reading time?

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday: A Red Herring Without Mustard + Graveland - Mystery Review + DNF

Tuesday: Top Ten Books to Read if Your Book Club Loves Children's Fiction

Wednesday: Send in the Clowns - Blog Tour Mystery Review + Giveaway

Thursday: Without a Doubt - Mystery Review

Friday: Friday Linkups featuring Everything Everything

Saturday: American Cake - Cookbook Review + Recipe

What's Coming Up:

Monday: The Queen's Accomplice - Mystery Review

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Recent TBR Additions

Wednesday: Hold Me Cowboy - Contemporary Romance Review

Thursday: TBD

Friday: Friday Linkups with current book

Saturday: TBD

Have a great week and happy reading!

American Cake - Cookbook Review + Recipe

I've been a fan of Anne Byrn since her first Cake Mix Doctor came out and have bought every cookbook of hers that I could find (they're all excellent except for the Dinner Doctor book which I didn't love) and pretty much every birthday around here involves a Cake Mix Doctor cake.  So when I saw she had a new book out called American Cake: From Colonial Gingerbread to Classic Layer, the Stories and Recipes Behind More Than 125 of Our Best Loved Cakes I knew I was going to have to have it!

As luck would have it just as I was about to order it sight unseen my library happened to have it displayed on the endcap.  So of course into the check out bag it goes!

Part history book part cookbook this doesn't disappoint.  Unlike Byrn's other cookbooks this one consists almost entirely of from scratch recipes and while technically all cakes there is a lot of variety!  I also enjoyed that instead of being separated by type of cake the recipes are separated into date ranges.  The first is 1650 to 1799: Baking Cakes in Early America and goes all the way up to 2000 to The Present: The Cakes of the New Millennium..  There's also the usual chapter on ingredients and tools but even here there is quite a bit of history on the evolution of the tools and the ingredients that are used in most baking.

Each chapter begins with a 1 or 2 introduction about the time period regarding what was happening in general as well as what was popular and available in the baking world.  Sprinkled through out are little inserts that provide information on original tools or other important events as well as trivia regarding historical figures.  If you ever wanted to know just what cake Grover Cleveland preferred or just whose favorite dessert was Pork Apple Pie (though it doesn't tell me what exactly Pork Apple Pie is) than this is a cookbook you would enjoy.  A number of presidential favorites are featured in the book so if you want to have an election night party perhaps Martha Washington Great Cake (George Washington), Blackberry Jam Cake (Andrew Jackson), or The Lane Cake (Jimmy Carter) would be the perfect desserts!

As for me I think I'll be baking Malinda Russell's Washington Cake.  This recipe was originally published in 1866 in a pamphlet called A Domestic Cookbook.  It is the first cookbook authored by an African American woman and contains not only recipes but first person stories (and I'll be trying to track down a copy as soon as I finish the cake!).   Malinda Russell herself sounds like a fascinating woman. She was ran a boardinghouse and pastry shop in and took a cosmopolitan approach to typical soul food by adding things like brandy, rosewater, spices, and almonds.  The book states that she was raised in East Tennessee and taught to cook by a Virginia slave named Fanny Steward.  The cake is English in style and is thought to have once been called a Queen's Cake. Of course after the Revolution was renamed Washington Cake.  Now with a story like that how can you resist this cake?

Malinda Russell's Washington Cake

Butter and flour for prepping the pan

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

Pinch of salt, if desired

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sour milk or buttermilk

3 cups unbleached flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 small lemon (to yield 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest)

Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325.  Lightly grease and flour a 10" tube pan, and shake out the excess flour.  Set the pan aside.

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy, 1 minute. While the mixer is running, gradually add the sugar and beat until light and creamy, 2 minutes.  Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add the pinch of salt, if desired, and add the eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed until each egg is incorporated, about 15 seconds each. Turn off mixer.

Stir the baking soda into the cup of sour milk.  Place the flour in a large mixing bowl, and stir in the cream of tartar.  Alternately add the flour, and milk to the egg mixture, beginning and ending with the flour and mixing on low speed until smooth.  Fold the lemon juice and zest into the batter.  Turn the batter into the prepared pan, and place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake upntil the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven, and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges of the pan, give the pan a gentle shake, then invert the cake once and then again onto the rack to cool completely, 1 hour.  Slice and serve.

There's lots of other info around the recipe including how she decoded the original 1866 directions into something that would work for here and now.  While originally this was a library checkout I did go on an order myself a copy.  It's definitely a book I'm excited to cook from.  I love getting a little history with my desserts!

I'm linking up with Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads

Friday Linkups - Everything Everything

It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
When you settle in for the night with a good book, do you read until you can't stay awake or simply have a nightly page goal?

My Answer:
It depends on the book.  If I'm really enjoying it I tend to just read until I'm tired but if it's a book I'm struggling to get into I try to read at least 50 pages a day to give the story a chance to pull me in.

This week's book is Everything Everything by Nicole Yoon.  It's really far from my typical read - a YA heavy on the romance, a book with illness - but I heard a lot of good reviews and I was so curious about it.  I'm going the audio route and I have mixed feelings about the book and the audio version.  However, I can see why it got really good reviews as there is so much that is fantastic about this one!

The Beginning:

I've read many more books than you.  It doesn't matter how many you've read.  I've read more.  Believe me.  I've had the time.

My Thoughts:
I love this beginning!  How can you not love a character who is a reader?  I find myself kind of envying her time to read.

The 56:

In two years of tutoring I've only met Mr. Waterman in person twice.  Usually all of my tutoring, including architecture, take place via Skype.

My Thoughts:
Okay, I'm envying her way less now.  I can't imagine being that isolated and not being able to do anything about it.

What do you think?  Keep reading (or listening in my case)?  How much do you read before bed?

Without a Doubt - Mystery Review

Without a Doubt (Carol Childs #3) by Nancy Cole Silverman

Rating: Very Good
Source: Author

Description:  As radio reporter Carol Childs investigates a series of Beverly Hills jewelry heists, she realizes her FBI boyfriend, Eric, is working the same case. Even worse, she may have inadvertently helped the suspect escape. The situation intensifies when the suspect calls the radio station during a live broadcast, baiting Carol deeper into the investigation.

In order for her to uncover the truth, Carol must choose between her job and her personal relationships. What started out as coincidence between Carol and Eric becomes a race for the facts—pitting them against one another—before the thieves can pull off a daring escape, leaving a trail of dead bodies behind, and taking the jewels with them.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book: This is an author I've been wanting to try since I saw a review of the first book in the series and I love a jewel heist plot!

My Impression:  I always enjoy when the main character is a reporter of some kind because it gives them a valid reason for investigating but still be able to poke their nose into situations that law enforcement wouldn't be allowed.  Carol didn't disappoint!  She's intelligent and quick witted but I never felt like she put "getting the story" ahead of her relationship with her son and her friends.  We don't see her son a lot in this book but her friend Sheri is a regular character and I really enjoyed their friendship.  Sheri calls Carol on her nonsense but at the same time didn't cross into "with friends like these..." territory which so often happens with close friendships in fiction.  As well she is trying to juggle actually investigating the jewelry heist/murder story as a reporter and cooperating with Eric who is an FBI agent as well as her boyfriend (Significant other?  Friend?  I loved that Carol spent some time trying to figure that out as well.)

I really enjoyed the inside look at life in the radio news industry.  While I've seen a number of reporters Carol is one of the first I've come across in the fiction world that works in radio.  One of my pet peeves when a character has a really interesting job or one that they announce quite a bit is when it just feels like window dressing.  With Carol I really got a peek behind the scenes and the politics of the radio station as well as the characters that populated that world. I also think that Carol's job influenced the feel of how the story was delivered.  It's fast paced and entertaining but I felt like the focus was more on reporting the story than the emotions that Carol and the others were feeling.  I think this really influenced the pacing which while never feeling rushed did make it feel like a very fast read.

The mystery starts off with a bang, quite literally,  as Carol's chocolate tour report is interrupted by an explosion at nearby Harry Winston's.  There's murder and mayhem with a dash of celebrities and some jewelry descriptions that made my mouth water almost as much as the chocolate descriptions!  We then get a bit more complicated (but not convoluted) with a murder and a unknown ring of jewelry thieves.  I wasn't quite clear on the relationships between some of the characters - particularly Mimi and Kari - in a professional level as some seemed to have connections to characters who were also connected to the murder victim.  I'm not sure if this is because I haven't read the first 2 books in the series or if it was a small detail that I missed.  However, while I didn't quite understand those relationships it didn't keep me from understanding how each character was involved in the story itself and had no impact on my enjoyment of the mystery.

There was also bonus points for a Hugette Clark mention.  I've been fascinated by the heiress since I read a biography on her a couple of years ago and this book has me wanting to learn even more about her.

I really enjoyed this fast paced mystery with an interesting detective and great side characters.  It kept me entertained through out though the chocolate tour in the beginning had me craving truffles!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Definitely!  I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next for Carol and am looking forward to read the earlier books in the series.

Would I Recommend this Book?: Definitely!  I think most mystery lovers would enjoy this.  While it does fall into the cozy genre it's a solid mystery that doesn't stray into cutesy.

Send in the Clowns - Blog Tour Review + Giveaway

Send in the Clowns (Country Club Murder #4) by Julie Mulhern
Rating: Good
Source: Blog Tour

Description:  Haunted houses are scary enough without knife-wielding clowns. Especially murderous knife-wielding clowns. So thinks Ellison Russell, single mother, artist, and reluctant sleuth.
Now death wears a red nose and Ellison is up to the blood-stained collar of her new trench coat in costumes, caffeine, and possible killers. Who stabbed Brooks Harney? And why? Money? Jealousy? Drugs?
With Mother meddling, her father furious, and her date dragged downtown for questioning, turns out Ellison's only confidante is Mr. Coffee.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book: This is one of my absolute favorite mystery series right now so picking up the newest one is just automatic!

My Impression:  This may just be the best Halloween themed mysteries I've read yet!  There are killer clowns, haunted houses, trick or treating and costume parties as well as a pretty spooky murder.  We start off with Ellison's daughter Grace being left at a haunted house and Ellison ending up having to go get her.  And of course Ellison being Ellison she manages to stumble over a dead body.  Unfortunately for her the body in question is in the act of being murdered when she comes on the scene.

The characters have always been a big part of what makes this series so enjoyable and this book was no exception.  I did feel like I got to know Ellison better as she really begins to deal with what she wants in her relationships with Hunter and Anarchy as well as for herself in general.  There's also so interesting progress in her relationship with her father as well as her daughter and I'm curious to see where that goes next.  At times her adoration on Mr. Coffee becomes a bit much though it did make sense with what was going on in her personal life.  I also enjoyed the bigger glimpse into Ellison's art.  Being an artist has always been part of her character but I felt like it was explored more in this book than I've seen before.

The mystery is entertaining and well-plotted though I expect nothing less from Mulhern!  I had no idea who the killer clown was until towards the end though I kept thinking I had it all figured out.  There are all kinds of false leads and interesting bits of information that pop up through the whole book.  There were one or two things that I would have liked to have been tied up a bit more.

I'm going to be honest - this wasn't my favorite in the series.  However, saying this wasn't my favorite in this particular series is kind of like saying that I don't like chocolate souffle quite as much as  creme brulee.  It's still pretty great just maybe not as great as I found the others to be.  If you're a fan of the series I don't think you'll be disappointed. If you're new to Ellison and her adventures you can jump in here without any trouble though I think you'd get more out of it starting with an earlier book. This is a Don't Miss series for any mystery lover.

As an extra treat, go check out Julie Mulhern's Pinterest boards.  I always love checking out her pins for the book after I've finished.  She mentions a gorgeous sounding Bill Blass coat in this book and it was so fun to see the actual coat on her board!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?:   Absolutely!  I'm already anxiously waiting for the next book!

Would I Recommend this Book?: Definitely!  I think this is a mystery any mystery reader would really enjoy!

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books to Read if Your Book Club Loves Children's Literature

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is Top Ten Books to Read if Your Book Club Loves x.  Obviously my first thought was Agatha Christie books but I figure I've done that one enough (read Sleeping Murder, And Then There Were None, and Murder of Roger Ackroyd plus any of her short story collections if you're new to her books) plus there isn't that much new to talk about.   After a lot of bouncing around I settled on children's literature.  Partly because I've been in a big Middle Grade mood lately and also because there is so much to talk about with them.  How they appeal to a child vs how they read to an adult, changes in how childhood is viewed and childhood freedoms, plus just the merits on the story alone!  Also, in the book clubs I've been involved in in the past everyone was scrambling to finish their books so I figure there's a higher chance of finishing a book designed for children!

1.  Nancy Drew and the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene - I think most readers - especially mystery lovers - have fond memories of Nancy Drew.  Reading them now is really entertaining.  How does Nancy manage to know everything?  How does she sustain all those head blows without any sign of a concussion?  There is also a more serious element about this series being one of the first adventure type books designed for girls and how the books impacted generations of young women.  Plus, I just love the covers!

2.  Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll - Mostly I just want someone to explain this one to me.  I read it expecting nonsense but expecting to enjoy it but by the end I felt like I was reading someone else tell me about a particularly long and convoluted dream.  Does it help if you read it as a child?  Was I just missing something?

3.  The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - This was one of my favorite books as a child and I was surprised when I reread it as an adult by how much I enjoyed it on its own merits and not just nostalgia.  Plus, that opening scene in India is absolutely horrifying.  This is such a complex book that I think there could be a ton of discussion topics.

4.  The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright - This is another book that could lead to so many discussions.  The first of which is the amount of freedom children had then (40s/50s) compared to now or even our own childhoods.  While most of the reviews on Goodreads for this book are glowing there is a one-star review and while I don't agree with her I definitely found a lot of validity in her points especially in regards to how one of the girls is treated due to an episode of what is considered vanity. Plus, the Melendy family is just wonderful and if you didn't meet them as a child you should definitely meet them now!

5.  Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey - These were my absolute favorite books as a child and I think there would be so much to discuss with these 2 books.  There's Lillian and Frank themselves who were fascinating people as well as just the family dynamics (and how the book completely skips over 12 becoming 11).  There are a couple of scenes that are hilarious if squirm inducing (a run in with a woman trying to make contraceptives available in Cheaper by the Dozen and a discussion on smoking in Belles on Their Toes) and reading the story of the family evolving between the 2 books is so interesting.  Plus, way more attention needs to be focused on Lillian Gilbreth and her contribution to efficiency in every aspect of life even after her husband's death in a time when women were not expected to be in the work place.

6.  The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co #1) by Jonathan Stroud - If my girls were younger this is one I'd be wanting them to read.  I love the way the kids work as a team and I think it's one of the few books I've found that feels directed at both genders.  And it's just all kinds of creepy.  Not to mention well written and really unique!  Also, I cannot resist the covers for these!

7.  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl - I once was in a book club where the food was themed to the book and the food for this one would be AMAZING!  I think you'd almost have to do a compare and contrast with the movies on this one and it could be really interesting.  Not to mention the book is great in it's own right.

8.  Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery - Even if you don't like Anne I think you should read this book.  In my opinion it's her best.  It's the story of Anne's youngest - pretty, vain, and somewhat shallow Rilla - who is ready to take her place in the world of parties and boys and fun now that she's 16 but her plans are dashed as war is declared in Europe and the world turns upside down for her.  It's heartbreaking, heartwarming, and a fascinating look at life on the Canadian homefront during World War I.  And if you don't cry at the Dog Monday story I don't think we can be friends.

9.  The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner - This series is the Tornado's (age 6) current bedtime books.  We're on our 4th or 5th one now and I'm trying to stick to the original books as much as possible.  These were some of my absolute favorite books as a child and so I've really enjoyed revisiting them.  I've been surprised by how simple the stories themselves are but how much they seem to appeal to children.

10. Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott - To be honest I've found that Alcott's books seem to hold up the worst to rereading as an adult but this one was my favorite and I think there's a number of issues that could be discussed today - charity, class issues, family situations, not to mention how they make that custody situation work!  It doesn't hurt that Eight Cousins is considerably shorter than Little Women which should make the reading go a bit easier!

That's my list though I probably could have easily listed 10 more that would be great book club reads.  What are your favorites that I've missed?