59-60.
Title: [Lost Girls: Volume 1] and [Lost Girls: Volume 2]
Author: Alan Moore
Genre: Graphic Novel
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Borrowed from Diss Adviser
Date Completed: June 16-17, 2016
Rating: ****

Alan Moore's three-volume Lost Girls is a pornographic re-visitation of three familiar fairytale characters meeting, and enjoying clandestine affairs, in an unusual hotel.  Alice (of Wonderland) is a wealthy elderly lesbian who has been socially shunned from her family - not that she cares much; Wendy (Darling) is a meek and submissive wife still daydreaming of dalliances in the park with a fairy-like young man; Dorthy is a spunky American Westerner spinning yarns of frisky farm life for her European companions. Together, the women share their sexually deviant but fulfilling histories, while enjoying a casual intimacy which is represented as comfortable and engaging, asking nothing and giving everything: the stories known to us as children are represented as metaphors for sexual awakenings and adventures in a very adult world. Realistically, there are some power dynamics which show a tendency towards predatory consumption of  young women, and taboos are unapologetically represented as part of the characters histories. In the telling, though, Moore gives each of the characters agency, allowing them the pursuit of pleasure and interesting a way that would have been (and arguable still can be) denied young women, and negates any sense of shame or apology. In a first reading I'd then suggest that this is an intriguingly feminist text, at once acknowledging how society and social groups can take advantage of young women, and how those same young omen can find their own autonomy in the ownership of their sexuality. Moore's take on these traditional female figures captures and articulates the strange in-betweeness of Victorian sexuality - that which shouldn't be, but is undeniably there. It also expresses a keen understanding of intended audience and fairy tales, giving back to adults a space of fantasy and metaphor that the Victorians relinquished to children. The series was recommended to me by one of my dissertation advisers as I first approached a project on gender and Victorian novels and modern comics, and it's something to think about as I move forward with the project.

61.
Title: [The Female Detective]
Author: Andrew Forrester
Genre: Detective Novel
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Beach Read
Date Completed: July 5, 2016
Rating: ***

Andrew Forrester's The Female Detective, published in 1864, is the first of its kind*, introducing a female protagonist in a relatively new genre. Using the name of Mrs. Gladden, although never actually recognizing this as her legal name, the female detective in question introduces the occupation to her readers in a series of narratives, both justifying her position and actions and relating the specifics of a series of "cases" in which she is involved.  As a whole, the novel is clumsy and unsure of itself, using bracketed asides and footnotes to try to direct and clarify and generally justify the text, characters, and occupation itself. Interestingly, a true organization of occupation familiar to modern readers (and anyone familiar with police procedurals!) is missing, and Mrs. G reads more like a busybody with police connections than a competent professional; for example, in one significant case she takes it upon herself to research the strange adoption of a young girl, whose household presence secures a financial legacy, ultimately revealing the results of her investigation because it is "required" of her position, though she was hired of no one and her investigation threatens to bring true harm to very good people. Her works seems more like that of cozy mystery protagonists than a professional detective, which has interesting gender implications for the genre itself.  Not good in its own right, Forrester's novel is nonetheless an interesting cultural object for the study of Victorian culture, and the evolution of the genre.

*Like many "firsts", this is a bit contentious. However, despite the existence of Ruth the Betrayer from 1862/3, I'll maintain for my own purposes that Forrester's novel is "first." My own personal justification for this is that Ellis' text is a serial penny dreadful, a different form of publication from Forrester's formal novel publication.  Therefore, Ellis' spy may be the first female detective in English, but Forrester's novel is the first female detective novel.

62.
Title: [Clean Room]
Author: Gail Simone
Genre: Graphic Novel
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Pre-ordered
Date Completed: July 6, 2016
Rating: *****

A well-written, strongly-illustrated, highly-compelling graphic novel. Clean Room takes a Scientology-esque institution and places it into productive action, revealing an alternative awareness of the world which both enlightens and terrifies those who know. Astrid Mueller is a horror writer turned self-help guru who has attracted a large umber of devoted followers, including nearly all of Hollywood, who attend weekly "readings" and espouse her wisdom. The organization is also cited in a number of suicides, calling into question Mueller's intentions and control, and whether or not her "help" is really positive. When a reporter's fiance falls under Mueller's spell, and kills himself suddenly, she makes it her mission to expose Mueller and take down the organization. Of course, there is far more to the story than she imagines, which she discovers after being allowed a rare glimpse into the "clean room" that is Astrid's true command center. The book is a creative take on alternative social communities and suggestive of a real horror that will leave readers on edge.  The character development is strong and largely believable, making the fantastic all the more possible.  Very well done.

56.
Title: [The G-String Murders]
Author: Gypsy Rose Lee
Genre: Pulp
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Beach Read
Date Completed: June 23, 2016
Rating: *****

Before there was Dita Von Tese there was Gypsy Rose Lee, a vaudeville performer turned strip teaser who went on to become a cultural icon with fluctuating media success.  According to her son’s introduction, Gypsy Rose Lee was never formerly educated, having spent her whole life travelling for the stage, but had a voracious appetite for reading, individual books becoming her tutors and her windows into different worlds and different lives.  Lee is no stranger to the pen, either, and in 1941 turns to pulp fiction with her publication of The G-String Murders.

The G-String Murders takes readers behind the scenes of a burlesque theatre, illustrating contentious and complex human relationships between stage performers, which leads to the very real (and welcomed, at times) murders of women with more enemies than back-door Johnnies. Gypsy Rose Lee herself is the protagonist, adding a realistic and identifiable voice to the telling of a series of garish murders, when strip-teasers are found strangled with glittering g-strings in a performance that seems fit for a stage. A classic whodunit, nearly everyone is suspicious, and the animosity between burlesque performers and the police force add a tension to the plot that adds believability to the suggestion that a comic and his dancer girlfriend need to investigate on their own.  The scenes backstage and in the dressing rooms are just as grand and engaging as the acts on stage, and the pace runs high and keeps twirling from beginning to end.  The G-String Murders will delight fans of mystery, pulp, and cozy-mysteries alike, and would be a real treat for anyone interested in burlesque and strip tease. Strong personalities and an intimate understanding of narrative make this pulp a real winner.

57.
Title: [Mother Finds a Body]
Author: Gypsy Rose Lee
Genre: Pulp
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Beach Read
Date Completed: June 25, 2016
Rating: ***

The sequel to The G-String Murders, Mother Finds a Body directly follows the conclusion of the first, removing Gypsy Rose Lee and a handful of familiar characters from the theatre, and and places burlesque performers in a tenuous position in the "real" world. Outside of the performing space, these characters lose a bit of their polish, and with it the interest of the reader. Though the introduction of Lee's mother as a principal characters adds a layer of enjoyable anxiety, the narrative as a whole is more traditional as a murder mystery, and thus less successful overall, as it is the unique perspective and setting which makes the first such a success.  The suspension of disbelief is a bit more difficult, as it's impossible to imagine travelling for several days in a packed trailer with an undiscovered murder victim in a bathtub, and the rest of the story is just as contrived. The saving grace is the character of Gypsy herself, who can still charm readers into going along for the ride. The second book is definitely second-best, but it's worth a look for a quick beach read.

58.
Title: [Sex Criminals: Vol. 1]
Author: Matt Fraction
Genre: Graphic Novel
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Beach Read
Date Completed: June 27, 2016
Rating: ***

The premise of Matt Fraction's Sex Criminals is curious and compelling: a young girl discovers at her sexual awakening that her orgasms stops time for all but her, allowing her variable stretches of experience in what she dubs "the Quiet Place." Faced with grief over the death of her father, and her mother's subsequent withdrawal and alcoholism, the Quiet Place gives Suzie the time and space she needs to heal and come to grips with her life, even as it leaves her feeling extraordinarily isolated and lonely following intimate bodily and emotional connections. Just when se determines that she'll never share this quiet moment with another she meets Jonathan, who has the same ability, albeit with a far more lascivious understanding, and a destructive inclination that leads him to use the time freeze for juvenile delinquency rather than quiet reflection and self-discovery. Together, they decide to use their intimate powers for both harm and good: robbing banks to raise the money to keep Suzie's library out of foreclosure.

For a book that uses sex as its narrative vehicle, Sex Criminals is not itself pornographic, keeping far from Alan Moore's level of sexual revelation, and playing the sex shop for gags rather than titillation. The artwork itself is oddly sweet and cartoonish, setting the tone of the book as approachable and well=meaning, with none of the grit and hard lines of, say, caped comics. However, the introduction of the sex police derail the story, adding an unnecessary layer of conflict and distracting fro the stories already put into motion. This, and the abrupt conclusion of the first volume, keep the book from being a full success, and ultimately will prevent me from seeking the next volume.

2.
Title: [How the Light Gets In]
Author: Louise Penny
Genre: Mystery
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Pre-order, late read
Date Completed: January 9, 2015
Rating: *****

How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny is narrative perfection.  Penny's writing is quietly elegant, building suspense with few gimmicks, and allowing characters to drive the story without overburdening the story with indulgent introspection, or unnecessary action sequences. Here, Gamache works through three mysteries, two of which are intimately connected, and all of which drive the detective back to the Utpoia of Three Pines.  I'm afraid to say anything more for fear of spoiling the story for any who hasn't gotten to it yet, so I will simply say that Penny again meets - and exceeds - the high standards I now have for her work.

66.
Title: [Othello]
Author: Shakespeare
Pages: 100
Genre: drama
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: work text
Date Completed: October 20, 2012
Rating: *****

This semester I assigned a "defense of villainy" essay for our reading of Othello: students had to either defend Iago, or Othello's murder of Desdemona.  I'm about to dive into those essays now...

67. 
Title: [The Adoration of Jenna Fox]
Author: Mary E. Pearson
Pages: 288
Genre: YA Dystopian
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Purchased used
Date Completed: November 1, 2012
Rating: ***1/2

The Adoration of Jenna Fox was included on a list of superior YA dystopian fiction I received at a conference, and though the first suggestion was a major flop ([Feed]), I decided to give this a try.  I'm glad I did.  While I'm not certain I agree with the labeling of this text as dystopian, the narrative is interesting and really calls one to question our current medical and political systems.  It's not perfect, and some questions are left unanswered, but overall the novel is satisfying. 

68. 
Title: [Titus Andronicus]
Author: Shakespeare
Pages: 100
Genre: drama
Medium: paperback
Acquisition: Work text
Date Completed: November 1, 2012
Rating: *****

Presented somewhere between 1592-1595, Shakespeare's earliest tragedy is a product of its time; revenge tragedies and the translated works of Seneca are widely popular, each characterized by violence and bizarre events.  Although the content of the play - including mutilation, rape, and cannibalism - may seem shocking, even these elements are not singular to Shakespeare's text, as much of the inspiration for characterization and events comes from Ovid's Metamorphosis.

Using Titus in the classroom for the first time is very interesting, as student reactions vary widely - one student has even requested to step out momentarily when we discuss the rape of Lavinia.  The students recognize the sins of Titus, and yet still we wrestle with our desire to prefer him to Tamora.  Discussions are lively, and the questions are very smart.  At the end of it all I am asking them to write a paper of definition defining "tyrant" or "tyranny," using both (or either) Othello and Titus as support. 

The school's drama department is producing Titus now, and many students have said that being asked to see the play has actually improved their readings.  I'll go see it myself tomorrow. 

69. 
Title: [The Beautiful Mystery]
Author: Louise Penny
Pages: 384
Genre: Mystery
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: November 2, 2012
Rating: ***

Never before have I been able to step away from a Louise Penny novel before full consumption, but I had no problem putting down The Beautiful Mystery for long periods of time; despite preordering the book and receiving it on its release date, I'm only just finishing the novel.  Much is poetic, as usual, but I didn't find the story nearly as compelling as others.  As for the conclusion, my one thought is good riddance to bad rubbish. 

62.
Title: [The Crossing Places]
Author: Elly Griffiths
Pages: 320
Genre: Cozy mystery
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:
Date Completed: September 23, 2012
Rating: ***

There is nothing sensational about The Crossing Places, other than its slightly-odd sensationalizing of archeology (although this isn't that odd, as shows like "Bones" have already done exactly this).  The mysteries are painfully obvious from the first, and so the book offers little in the way of surprise or suspense.  Instead, this becomes a novel about characters, many of whom are shallow, two-dimensional, and downright dull. 

However, despite her many many (human) failings, I found myself sympathetic to Dr. Ruth Galloway; she is a character who is insecure and truly doesn't know her own worth (which can be irritating), but this is tempered by her confidence in her academic field.  This confidence is what saves Ruth for me as a character. 

There is one plot twist that I actually didn't expect, and for this reason I am actually likely to pick up the second book.  Eventually. 

55. 
Title: Some Like it Hawk
Author: Donna Andrews
Pages: 352
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Medium: Hardback
Acquisition: Preordered
Date Completed: July 20, 2012
Rating: ***

Some of the polish has worn off Donna Andrews's Meg Langslow series, and Some Like it Hawk isn't nearly as engaging as earlier installments.  The excitement over Meg's personal life is largely over, and although she is still perfectly comfortable running her home as a public building (I feel claustrophobic just reading about it), the somewhat enjoyable chaos is merely more of the same.  Many of the gimmicks of earlier novels - such as that damn gorilla suit - have become obnoxious plot devices as opposed to sentimental allusions, and the plot itself is rather dry, save for one major question: will Meg and Michael lose their house?

This is the question that kept me reading through a rather lackluster story, and the resolution of this question is certainly not a centerpiece of the conclusion.  Overall, much of the story felt ... obligatory.  While I've enjoyed the series thus far, I'm not altogether certain I will bother with the next, should Andrews continue the series. 

50.
Title: Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues
Author: Robert Fate
Pages: 269
Genre: Mystery/Crime
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Amazon Loan
Date Completed: June 9, 2012
Rating: ***1/2

The second in the "Baby Shark" series, Baby Shark's Beaumont Blues leaves the personal vendetta behind, and instead focuses on  more traditional territory: PI work, and all the grit and violence Fate can stuff in there.  Less emotionally taxing - and more predictable - Beaumont Blues follows the protagonist through her professional development, and allows Kristin and Otis to shine as the true characters they are.  There's nothing earth-shattering here, but Beaumont Blues is a solid read and a great sequel. 

46. 
Title: Baby Shark
Author: Robert Fate
Pages: 270
Genre: Fiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Free download, recommended by Penn Jillette on Twitter
Date Completed: May 19, 2012
Rating: ****1/2

Baby Shark opens with gut-wrenching violence against the unlucky patrons at a pool house.  The unapologetic violence of the scene captivates, even as the reader wants to look away.  Among the victims are 17-year-old Kristin, who is brutally raped and beaten, and her father, who is murdered.

Kristin doesn't remember getting out of the pool hall when she wakes in the hospital, but she learns that the owner - the only other survivor of the attack by a gang of bikers - dragged her from the building despite his own gunshot wounds, and manages to drive her to the relative safety of the hospital.  She also learns that the police have no intention of investigating the murders and assault.  Kristin and Henry find a new family in each other, drawn together by a need for both safety and revenge.  Together they live, train, and plan. 

Baby Shark is a tale of survival and what it takes for two damaged individuals not only to recover, but to find justice.  Kristin (aka Baby Shark) seeks not only to avenge her father's death, but also to reclaim her dignity and establish herself as a strong, independent figure, regardless of the abuse she suffered and regardless of her gender in a very gender-biased setting.  One reviewer remarks on a lack of morality in Kristin's actions, but my own reading suggests something very different: it is not necessarily a quest for Hammurabian revenge, but justice.  If the police had pursued and prosecuted the bikers responsible for these violent crimes I would suggest that Kristin and Henry would not have have sought out their own form of justice; given the circumstances of their case, they sought punishment that was otherwise denied. 

As I first read of the attack on the pool hall I did not expect to like this book, but the narrative quickly sped away, and before I knew it I was at the novel's end. 

42. 
Title: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Author: Alan Bradley
Pages: 306
Genre: Mystery
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition:  Library Loan
Date Completed: May 13, 2012
Rating: ***

Flavia de Luce is the third and youngest daughter of an old English family.  Having lost her mother at a young age, it appears that Flavia has largely been left to raise herself, which she has done through extensive reading and an obsession with Chemistry.  Indeed, it is this interest that most defines Flavia, as she responds to emotional stress and strain by imagining what poisons she can cook up in her lab as revenge.  Confident and intelligent with a strong dislike for authority, Flavia is just the sort of girl I would have adored at eleven, and just the sort of over-confident character that I find tedious as an adult. 

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie seems to be an excuse for Bradley to write about pet subjects - chemistry, for example, and stamps - and the lectures on these subjects frequently lead the narrator away from the narrative.  For one who is interested in these subjects these asides would be an excellent diversion, and would not likely detract from the novel; however, the discussions related to philately were so dull that I frequently found my mind wandering, and had to force myself back to the narrative.

I, for one, do not find that my own reading lives up to the hype. 

38. 
Title: Broadmoor Revealed
Author: Mark Stevens
Pages: 107 pages
Genre: Nonfiction
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Free Amazon Download
Date Completed: May 3, 2012
Rating: ***

As one could deduce from the page count, Mark Stevens' Broadmoor Revealed: Victorian Crime and the Lunatic Asylum is only a brief glimpse into one of England's Victorian-era asylums.  Idyllic in setting and home to as many sane criminals as deranged artists, Broadmoor is an interesting subject for study, but by no means unique.  Although a number of crimes are discussed in relation to the patients, what I found most interesting were the details of the escapes attempts, and how the Board responded - or failed to, as was frequently the case.  Although I would have preferred greater depth, Broadmoor Revealed is a nice snack for those interested in Victorian crime or mental institutions. 

39. 
Title: Death Comes to Pemberley
Author: P. D. James
Pages: 220 pages
Genre: Mystery
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Library Ebook
Date Completed: May 4, 2012
Rating: *

Death Comes to Pemberley is trite and wooden.  The plot itself is lost in the pedantic text, which lectures as opposed to narrates. James uses dialog to introduce every detail, which leads to cumbersome and often ridiculous conversations, in which Character A reminds Character B that they met the good Doctor five years ago at that dinner party, and that the Doctor now suffers from gout and enjoys a comfortable estate, but went on that dreadful trip last year and is now nursing a sore hip and oh yes is not married and has no intention of seeking matrimony; he'll be here within the hour.  Oh yes, and candlelight merely enhances the darkness and gloom, and Darcy wonders, generally speaking.

Anyone with any knowledge - even passing - of Austen and/or the long nineteenth century will be better off avoid this cumbersome narrative. 

36. 
Title: Waiting for Godot
Author: Samuel Beckett
Pages: 100 pages
Genre: Drama
Medium: Paperback
Acquisition: Work Text
Date Completed: April 26, 2012
Rating:

37. 
Title: Simon Said
Author: Sarah R. Shaber
Pages: 220 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Medium: Kindle
Acquisition: Borrowed from Amazon Prime
Date Completed: April 27, 2012
Rating: ***

Simon Shaw is the perfect protagonist for a cozy mystery; unlike other cozies, which dump corpses behind bakeries or in bookstores, Shaber deposits a 70-year-old corpse in the middle of an archeological dig at a college, where a depressed and socially awkward professor of history is happy to take up the research to put a name to the skull, and a name to the bullet inside of that skull.  As an amateur detective, Shaw utilizes his skill set as an academic and researcher, and pieces together the mystery in a way that is purposeful and conceivable.  While one of the two mysteries of the text isn't quite so meticulous, Shaw's own efforts are strong.

So why just three stars?  Shaw himself is repugnant, albeit far less so than some of his colleagues.  Emotionally crippled by the departure of his wife, Shaw is initially presented as a wounded animal, and lacks sympathy (when Shaw himself analyzes his failed marriage he can understand how his actions and decisions lead to the separation, and so can I).  However, such emotional frailty could be overlooked if Shaw himself wasn't such blatant a sexist.  Although a colleague in the history department is labeled a sexist, it is Shaw himself who proves far more demeaning and critical: the colleague dismisses women as a waste of time, while Shaw criticizes the "love interest's" choice of clothing, eating habits, and choice of beverages in a way that exerts his superiority over an independent and successful woman.  To Shaw, she lacks autonomy and instead functions as an inevitable addition to his life - after all, once she works through her far-more-complicated emotions he will be there to indulge in the relationship of his choosing. 

As much as I enjoy Shaw as an amateur  detective, his personal life is enough to keep me from pursuing the series.

93.
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Title: The Valley of Fear
publication: paperback
Pages:
Genre: mystery
Acquisition: work text
Date: December 5, 2011
Rating: ***1/2

The Valley of Fear is published by Conan Doyle in 1914. Feeling shackled by the character for which he is best known, Conan Doyle's writing of the famous eccentric shows his narrative burden; Holmes himself is literally absent for over half of the book, as Part II explores the background of a particular character from Part I. This shift in genre is not entirely successful, as it does not seem to manage the expectations of the established audience; however, both narratives are enjoyable when read as separate bodies of work, and I would argue that they would be most successfully read as such.

92.
Author: Lorna Barrett
Title: [Sentenced to Death]
publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: cozy mystery
Acquisition: Necessary baby-feeding ebook
Date: December 5, 2011
Rating: ***1/2

I have apparently missed a book or two in my reading of this series, but my understanding was not hindered by the oversight.

My reading of Sentenced to Death is mixed. I appreciate Barrett's acknowledgement of the difficulties all cozy authors must face: most importantly, how librarians/booksellers/bakers/candlestick makers keep coming across bodies in an otherwise "perfectly safe" environment. Barrett's characters readily recognize the growing crime rate in their community, and proper concern is mixed. This seems to be a flag for the end of the series, as the murder rate will soon outgrow the constraints of a small tourist town.

What I found most difficult about the novel is the murder itself; while Barrett eventually justifies such an outlandish act, the details of the murder are still so extraordinary that it's dificult to believe the murderer could even get it right.

This is one for fans of the series, but probably not one worth picking up for readers not already invested in Tricia and her community.

78.
Author: Tracy Kiely
Title: Murder Most Persuasive
publication: Paperback
Pages: 293
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Acquisition: LT Friends are lovely
Date: September 26, 2011
Rating: ****

Murder Most Persuasive opens with a funeral, but this particular death is not the one that causes concern; rather, it is the body that is found under the family's old pool that sets this narrative in motion. Keeping her tongue firmly in an Austen novel, Elizabeth Parker barely manages to navigate her family while trying to save them from suspicion of murder. In the end it's not Jane Austen, but rather Ben Stiller, that inspires the resolution, and Kiely does an admirable job drawing out the conclusion until things can be satisfactorily summarized. With plenty of pop-culture references, Murder Most Persuasive is not a book that will age well, but for the time being it is an enjoyable cozy.

73.
Author: Louise Penny
Title: A Trick of the Light
publication: Hardcover
Pages
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date: September 14, 2011
Rating: *****

A Trick of the Light is quietly elegant, yet delves deep into the baseness that makes up human nature. The mystery revolves around the death of an art critic who once took particular joy in destroying the budding careers of artists; as a result, the pool of suspects encompasses almost all of the local art world, and Gamache and his elite team find themselves working with some especially neurotic individuals. What comes to light is the true ugliness that people can keep inside, and the resulting novel is as philosophical as it is mysterious. One of the things I appreciate about Penny's mysteries is that she does not fall into the easy trap of insanity: not all murderers hear voices or are otherwise insane. Some are just simply horrible people, doing horrible things. In the end I was pleased not only with the resolution of the murder, but with the fate of a certain detestable character. This book is yet another treat for fans of Three Pines.

69.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: [J is for Judgment]
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 329
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: September 5, 2011
Rating: ***

For reasons I'm not sure I can state explicitly, I didn't really find J is for Judgment as compelling as some of the earlier Kinsey books. The mystery itself simply isn't thrilling, and there's an almost extreme amount of legwork for very little payoff. I think I was as sick of the running around as Kinsey herself says she is.

68.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: I is for Innocent
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 329
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 20, 2011
Rating: ****

Freshly wounded from being fired by California Fidelity and settling into her new offices with attorney Lonnie Kingsman, Kinsey finds herself low on confidence and doubting her professional abilities. As the first case she works for Kingsman throws her curveball after curveball Kinsey loses her footing more than once, but continues to barrel through despite her own misgivings. I thoroughly enjoy how human Kinsey is, and I find her extremely attractive for her faults and quirks.

67.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: H is for Homicide
Publication: Paperback
Pages:
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 17, 2011
Rating: ***

H is for Homicide is not as successful as previous Alphabet Mysteries; while the characters are interesting and compelling, the premise through which Kinsey finds herself in the narrative circumstances are flimsy at best.

66.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: G is for Gumshoe
Publication: Paperback
Pages:
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 15, 2011
Rating: ***1/2

In G is for Gumshoe, Kinsey finds herself going after a Bronte-colored mystery, while ducking a hi man (and his young son) when she finds herself on a convict's blame-list. I like Dietz, but not everything in this mystery flows as naturally as other books (specifically where Grafton forces the Bronte allusions). Still enjoyable overall.

64.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: [E is for Evidence]
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 208
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 13, 2011
Rating: ****

After a few cozy duds I decided to go with something tried-and-true to bring me out of my schlump: enter Kinsey Millhone.

I've been reading Grafton's series off and on since I was eleven, and my Gram loaned me L is for Lawless. I've never gotten any further in the series, although I own through S, largely because I keep going back to refresh with earlier books. And I keep forgetting where I left off, because I leave so much time and so many other books in-between.

This time I picked up with E is for Evidenc, because I couldn't remember the conclusion.

When Kinsey begins a routine check on a fire claim for CF, she finds herself caught up in a long-festering pool of lies, family tension, and illegal activities. Her investigation puts her under suspicion, and she finds herself working for her own cause. The case leaves a compelling line of dead bodies and old relationships, and the very human protagonist carefully sifts through the pieces- until the answer lands in her living room.

Consistent and engaging; Grafton doesn't disappoint.

P.S. Reviewing on the iPhone is tough.

65.
Author(s): Sue Grafton
Title: [F is for Fugitive]
Publication: Paperback
Pages: 352
Genre: Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 14, 2011
Rating: ****

In F is for Fugitive, Kinsey finds herself (blissfully) out of town, and working for one of the most unpleasant families in contemporary fiction after she is hired by the patriarch to exonerate his son, who is convicted of murdering a seventeen-year-old girl more than a decade before. Grafton presents a fairly pedestrian depiction of small-town life, but somehow following the ornery community remains interesting throughout.

63.
Author(s): Laura Levine
Title: Death of a Trophy Wife
Publication: Kindle
Pages:
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Acquisition:
Date Completed: August 107, 2011
Rating: **1/2

Death of a Trophy Wife is downright silly. Although the book is supposed to be a cozy mystery, I found it to be more food porn for junk food junkies than anything else. The unraveling of the mystery happens in spite of the protagonist, who spends most of her time diving into a jar of peanut butter with a spoon, extolling the virtues of her elastic-waist jeans, and creating a cantankerous personality for her cat, Prozac. The book is likewise plagued by long asides in the form of emails from the protagonist's parents, which do little more than show that "ridiculous" did not fall far from the fictional tree. Add in several unhealthy relationships and sloppy narration, and you get Death of a Trophy Wife.