Category: Books

Margery Allingham and The White Cottage Mystery

Margery Allingham and The White Cottage Mystery

Posted on by Jack

Why did I decide to read The White Cottage Mystery by Margery Allingham ?

I’ve been searching for information on the Allinghams and the name Margery Allingham frequently pops up. I had read she was a good mystery writer and I was a bit curious. Lately, I’ve been gravitating toward mysteries.

Why search for Allinghams? I do some genealogy and my great great grandmother was an Allingham.


So I thought that one of these days when I was at the library, I’d look up one of her books. I usually have a bunch of books waiting for me so that day was probably pretty far off. I often review current books and many of these are Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs). I get them as e-books from Netgalley.

Then about a month ago, I was browsing Netgalley to see if anything of interest was available. And to my surprise I ran across The White Cottage Mystery by Margery Allingham. It had been republished as an e-book by Bloomsbury about a year ago. The publicist at Bloomsbury was kind enough to approve me anyway. So my thanks to both Netgalley and that publicist.

So since this is supposed to be a book review and you’ve put up with my ramblings for so long, I should tell you right off that I liked the book. From what I’ve read, it seems this was her first mystery and at the time (1920s) it was published as a newspaper serial and much later edited into a short book.

But my thought was that if I was going to read Margery Allingham, I might as well begin at the beginning. It is a good mystery. It very quickly gets down to a murder and a suspect. But then there are too many suspects, each with a good reason to kill the victim, but none apparently did. I completely enjoyed this one and plan read more of her work.

Bluefire Reader ereader on my iPhone

Bluefire Reader ereader on my iPhone

Posted on by Jack

You may have noticed that in some of the posts on this site I review books I have read recently. Quite a few of these are e-books from Netgalley, service that allows book publishers to make their Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) available electronically for book reviewers, book sellers, librarians, and so forth.

I usually request copies compatible with my Kindle. However a few weeks ago I had requested book and was approved but sadly there was not a Kindle option. The available option was the Adobe Digital Editions which does a fine job but my only experience with it was reading a book on a laptop computer. It works but it is a bit inconvenient to fire up the old laptop and actually keep it in your lap as you read. A bit big and clunky for me.

I had read Kindle books on my iPhone with the Kindle App on the iPhone and liked it so I looked for something that could read Adobe Digital Editions files on the iPhone. I found Bluefire Reader, which was highly rated e-reader in the Apple store. So I installed it and gave it a try.

Since I already had Adobe Digital Editions on my main computer and laptop, I already had an account and just had to authorize another device (Bluefire Reader), download the book, and I was set.

Bluefire Reader was easy to use and did a great job in allowing me to read on my phone. Bluefire Reader is a wonderful e-reader for the iPhone.

Sine I have found myself posting about computer, software, and technology in general as I go about writing about genealogy, books, or other issues, I am adding a tech category to cross reference those posts. I’ll go back and add that category as appropriate. I guess, it is appropriate too that I have written this first post in the tech category with my Chromebook.

The Book Thing by Laura Lippman

The Book Thing by Laura Lippman

Posted on by Jack

This is from a series of low cost ebooks put out by mysteriouspress.com. This series called Bibliomystery are short mysteries that have to do with books or bookstores.


This is the second of this series that I’ve tried and I liked this. They are low cost and short so they are a good way to sample a writer and see if you like him or her without committing much of your time or money to the trial read. For example, Amazon estimates this story is the equivalent of about 25 pages and the cost is about two dollars.

I reviewed my first exposure to this series about 2 months back . I liked the book and decided to try another sometime soon.

So when a chance came up to try “The Book Thing” by Laura Lippman, I signed up via NetGalley. Pretty soon the book was on my Kindle and I was reading. The story involves Tess Monaghan, a PI from Baltimore who features in a series of mystery novels by Laura Lippman.

Tess volunteers to solve some mysterious thefts in a neighborhood bookstore. The mystery is certainly not one of the life-and-death variety but it is interesting. I enjoyed the story and the author’s way of telling it.

Along the way you get to hear a bit about Baltimore and its neighborhoods, bookstores and their importance, the important role books play in our lives, how parents can give their children a love of books and reading, and more. Not the least of these is The Book Thing of Baltimore.

If you do like this story, you may also be interested in many of the other novels by this author which reasonably priced in the Kindle store. By the way, if you are not a Kindle reader, other formats are available through the mysteriouspress.com link in the first sentence of this review.

Think Like Sherlock Holmes

Think Like Sherlock Holmes

Posted on by Jack

I mentioned before that I like to take walks and listen to podcasts. I haven’t done that in a while, mostly because the weather hasn’t been good when I was in the mood for a walk. But today I walked and listened to a fascinating interview with Maria Konnikova, author of a new book called Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes.


Since today is the first day that I even heard of this book, I haven’t read it. But it does sound interesting.

There is a tremendous interest in Sherlock Holmes. Of course the stories. But several adaptions to TV and movies as well. Holmes is well known for his reasoning and observation powers. Other than that, he is quite ordinary. Unlike many fictional heros he has no superpowers. So maybe we all can aspire to be more like him in being able to observe and reason.

It is a interesting interview. It is on Point of Inquiry so check it out if interested. Or you may want to see Maria Konnikova’s blog. Or just click the book picture to take you to Amazon where you can read about the book and maybe buy the book if it sounds good to you.

Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year by David Von Drehle

Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year by David Von Drehle

Posted on by Jack

Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year by David Von Drehle was on my Christmas list for 2012. I did get it and I’m reading it now and thought this might be a good time to talk about the book. But let me tell you first why it was on my list.

I have long been an admirer of David Von Drehle’s writing. I had read Triangle: The Fire That Changed America many years ago. In 1911 a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City killed over 100 workers. This stood as the worst workplace disaster in New York City until September 11 2001. Most of the workers at the Triangle factory were poor women from the lower eastside on Manhattan. Some were burned; others jumped to their deaths. It was a horrible incident and changed the American workplace. I really was impressed with the way that David Von Drehle told the story.

Skip ahead to last year and I subscribed to Time magazine. I started noticing articles by David Von Drehle. The name was familiar. So I checked and it was the Triangle author. Then late last year, an issue came out with a few big stories on the new Lincoln movie. And there was a mention of his book. So I added that to my list.

So enough background. What do I think of the book? The short version is “I like it!” But since this a book review, I really should go into a bit more detail.

As suggested by the title Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year this does focus on one year. And that year is 1862. Since it is a calender year story, it makes sense to tell it chronologically and that is what Von Drehle with 12 monthly chapters. But before the monthly chapters comes a prologue to set the stage. And a chapter on New Years Day to flesh out the prologue, introduce some key characters, and get us into the chronological part.

It is clear that the United States is in big trouble. Many states have seceded. The federal government is broke. The was costs are several times the previous federal budgets. Even among the states who stay in the Union, there is widespread disagreement on several issues but most especially slavery. The rebels are doing well militarily. And the future of the United States is in doubt. Then there are international issues. It is really unclear if the country lawyer can handle all of this.

But during 1862 Lincoln becomes the leader we need. I’m over half way though the book now. I just finished June. I can’t comment on the end because I’m not there yet. But so far the author is doing a great job at describing the progress of the war and the political pressure on the new president.

My one quibble is maps. There are some and they really help in following military campaigns. But I am a big map fan and wish there were more maps.

So here are a few reviews I found:

Overall, I’d say this was a very good book. All the reviews I’ve seen seem to agree on that. And there are another 50 or so reviews on Amazon if you just click on the image of the book above.

It does focus on one critical year in Lincoln’s presidency so it is not a full biography or a full telling of the civil war. But it is a wonderful book about a very critical year. I highly recommend it.

Brooklyn Bones by Triss Stein

Brooklyn Bones by Triss Stein

Posted on by Jack

Brooklyn Bones begins with an incident any parent can relate to. A teenage daughter calls about something terrible and, of course, it is all your fault. The terrible thing gets your attention and then the story slows down a little but definitely keeps your attention as the main characters are fleshed-out.

Then the action speeds up and never stops until the end. The book is Brooklyn Bones and the author is Triss Stein. This book is the first in a series featuring Erica Donato. Continue reading “Brooklyn Bones by Triss Stein”

Death Leaves a Bookmark by William Link

Death Leaves a Bookmark by William Link

Posted on by Jack

I am looking for a short diversion and I read about this short story that seems to fit. I always enjoyed the television shows and movies featuring Lieutenant Columbo and along comes a short story with Lieutenant Columbo.

This could be good, I think. But then again maybe not. I also enjoy Conan-Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories and some of the newer stories featuring this fictional detective are quite good. Some are disappointing.


So I take a chance. A short story is not much of a gamble anyway – either in terms of wasting time or cost.

And I’m glad I did take that chance. Turned out to be a great story. Plans for that perfect crime. And the case is assigned to the bumbling Lieutenant Columbo. And of course the perfect crime becomes the imperfect crime as Columbo solves it.

I totally enjoyed it. I suspect those who are not familiar with the character would also like it but perhaps not quite as much. In either case it is well worth the small investment to find out if this is your type of story.

This story is one a series of mysteries offered as low cost ebooks. You might want to check several of them out.

A Little History of Science by William Bynum

A Little History of Science by William Bynum

Posted on by Jack

A Little History of Science by William Bynum is hard book to review. But that is mostly because it is exactly what the title promises.


Science is a very big area. It would be impossible to cover it all in a very large set of books and certainly very hard to summarize in a large book but William Bynum attempts it in small book (about 270 pages). And succeeds!

I found myself fascinated by some parts and merely interested in others. But I think this is to be expected as the subject matter varies so greatly.

So I guess the reader is doomed to find parts that are of great interest which a reader would wish were covered in more detail. But that is the nature of short histories. This work gives us an overview of many areas of science. And if the reader is interested in any or several, he or she can explore those in more detail in other books.

I liked the book but am a bit unsure about a target audience. I am a retired scientist (human genetics) so I was already familiar with large parts of what was covered but this book did fill in some significant gaps. So I would say it is suitable for the adult reader who wants a quick view of areas of science they are not familiar with. This would range from someone with science knowledge (since there are not many who know it all) to someone who knows nothing of science but is curious. I think it would also be suitable for a teen interested in a quick overview of science.

Harmattan by Gavin Weston, an update

Harmattan by Gavin Weston, an update

Posted on by Jack

Today I found a comment on my review of Harmattan by Gavin Weston with a notation that the commenter had reviewed this book on her blog and liked it as well. So since it had been a while since I reviewed the book and there were few other reviews then, I thought I would give an update with a list of reviews. By the way, I liked the book very much and thought the message very important.

First, for the latest information on the book, you might want to visit the author’s website, http://www.gavinwestonbooks.com/. On another site is also a guest blog by Gavin Weston about why he wrote this book.


I looked at Amazon and saw the Kindle edition is out (and only $5.99 when I looked) but the paperback won’t be released in the US until June, 2013. It is already out in the UK. So your options in the US appear to be buy the Kindle version or pre-order the paperback (or just wait). Or I guess you could buy from a non-US store and have it shipped.

That link is to the Kindle edition but you can easy move to the print edition if that is your preference.

So here are a few reviews I found:

All the reviews I’ve seen are favorable. I would say almost all reviewers think this is a very good book and/or highly recommend it. So at least now I know it is just not me. I hope Mr. Weston continues to write.

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham

Posted on by Jack

Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham is a wonderful book. I had done some reading about Jefferson before but never a full-length biography. I had heard this was the best so I was eager to tackle it and I’m glad I did.

In my previous readings, I had always felt Jefferson was a very gifted man and with that rare ability to hold 2 contradictory beliefs in his mind without being a hypocrite. For example, he was firmly against the idea of political parties, yet the most partisan of politicians.

The list of these internal contradictions is massive. But Jon Meacham spends a good bit of time on the early Jefferson and his love of control and dislike of conflict. This was paired with a strong set of beliefs about what was right or ideals (Jefferson, the Philosopher) with a realization of what was possible and how to get there (Jefferson, the Politician). And the latter is the art of power as in the subtitle.

This is a large (but still 1 volume) biography. I have seen blurbs calling it the best but I’ll have to leave that judgement of others who are more qualified. I’ll just say that I enjoyed it and feel that I understand Jefferson much better than before.

Here are some other reviews:

The Christmas Kid: And Other Brooklyn Stories By Pete Hamill

The Christmas Kid: And Other Brooklyn Stories By Pete Hamill

Posted on by Jack

I was born in the Bronx in 1950 and moved to the suburbs a few years later. I mention this little bit of personal history because I have read several of Hamill’s books as an adult and it always make me nostalgic for the New York that existed before I did.


In the introduction to The Christmas Kid: And Other Brooklyn Stories, Pete Hamill does identify nostalgia as New York City’s most enduring emotion and I understand that entirely. The city is a very special place but it seems it was always a bit better when our parents or perhaps just a decade or so before we were born.

A New Yorker or even a near New Yorker like me definitely feels the nostalgia. But anyone from anywhere could relate to these stories. Such is the magic of his storytelling. Although the stories are specifically about working-class people in a certain neighborhood, they are really universal.

Pete Hamill is one of my favorite authors so I was pretty sure I was going to like this book. And I liked it even more than I expected. This book is a collection of 36 short stories. Pete Hamill was raised in the tenements of a working-class area of Brooklyn and these stories are set in the Brooklyn of his youth which spanned the Depression and the Korean War. The author is gifted at telling us about the time, place, and characters.

Most of these stories were published in the Sunday Daily News in the early 1980s. The stories vary in length; several are 5 pages or so; some are about 15 pages. Some have happy endings; some don’t; but that’s the way it is.

The nice thing about a collection of short stories like this is that you can enjoy without much commitment. With a longer book, I often find myself in a situation where after reading 50 or even 100 pages that are just OK, I wonder if I really want to spend the time reading hundreds of pages than might be the same or might get better. With short stories the commitment is only a few more pages. By the way, there were no stories in this book that I even considered not finishing.

Definitely add this to your reading list if you like Pete Hamill’s other books. Give it a try if you are not a fan or maybe even never heard of Pete Hamill. Reading a few short stories is not a big investment of time and you may find a new author worth following.

New York City Stories

New York City Stories

Posted on by Jack

If you are interested in New York, you might enjoy the new website http://narrative.ly That is narrative.ly

The dot is important since if you leave it out, you will end up at another website. This website publishes original, true and in-depth stories about New York City.

I found the site and became interested because one of my favorite authors Gabriel Cohen published a non-fiction short story about his Brooklyn apartment there. (See http://www.jackreidy.com/blog/2012/09/27/a-splash-of-red-by-gabriel-cohen/ for a more complete story about my discovery.

Enjoy!

Ratlines by Stuart Neville

Ratlines by Stuart Neville

Posted on by Jack

Based on a little known and disturbing aspect of Irish history and a mix of real and fictional characters, “Ratlines” by Stuart Neville is an intriguing story.

This is clearly a work of fiction. At the beginning he lays out a few historical events. And then tells you:

The rest is just a story

But what a story.

First, the historical events that inspired this story. As I said some facts are given in the beginning of the book and then in the Acknowledgements at the end, the author list a few sources of the history including a documentary you can find on YouTube

Or if you prefer reading about this
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1538969/Ireland-welcomed-Hitlers-henchmen.html


So with a base of real characters, Neville adds fictional characters and fictional events and weaves a complicated tale of intrigue involving Nazis, the IRA, Irish intelligence, a love story, and much more. What makes it more interesting to Americans is that this story mainly takes place during the preparations for President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland.

As would be expected in a story involving Nazis, the IRA, and Stuart Neville, there is violence. But as in his previous books (reviewed here: The Ghosts of Belfast and Collusion), the violence seems to fit into the story which is more about right and wrong (often the lesser of two wrongs) and a complex character dealing with inner conflict.

In this book the complex character is Lieutenant Albert Ryan of Irish Intelligence, who left neutral Ireland to fight the Nazis for the British and now is asked by his government to protect Nazi war criminals in Ireland such as Colonel Otto Skorzeny (formerly an SS officer and now a well-connected resident of Ireland.)

I read the galley from netgalley on my Kindle and the book won’t be released until early January, 2013. I guess my only real disappointment is that the book won’t be available this year for gift giving.

Other reviews:

The book is published by Soho Crime. If you like good books, especially with an international flavor, you might want to check out Soho Press.

A Splash of Red By Gabriel Cohen

A Splash of Red By Gabriel Cohen

Posted on by Jack

I signed up for Gabriel Cohen’s email list and I’m glad I did.  For those not familiar with the author, Gabriel Cohen is a writer living in Brooklyn who has written several books about a Brooklyn-based homicide detective.

I have reviewed all 4 to date here.

I have enjoyed them all and I’ve been waiting for the next in the series. So what does this have to do with the list? The author has his own website at http://www.gabrielcohenbooks.com.

And you can sign up for emails there. You don’t get many. This is the first I’ve gotten in a while and it was so good I decided to blog about it.

I was hoping for a notice that a new book was coming and maybe an invitation to be an advanced reader. I think what I got was almost as good, but some might actually say better. Mr. Cohen has written a nonfiction piece for a new website.

I totally enjoyed “A Splash of Red” which is a free read at http://narrative.ly/2012/09/a-splash-of-red/. It starts with the writer looking for an affordable apartment, and quickly progresses to a crime writer living at a crime scene. I say quickly because it is not a very long piece. It is a great story and certainly worth a few minutes of your time.

While there be sure to check out the rest of the Narratively website. It is an interesting web publication of true stories. Did I mention it is free? If you are so inclined you may support the project but the site is free and open to all.

Twilight of the Elites: America after Meritocracy by Christopher Hayes

Twilight of the Elites: America after Meritocracy by Christopher Hayes

Posted on by Jack

Twilight of the Elites: America after Meritocracy by Christopher Hayes is a book well-worth your time. Most of us are unhappy to one degree or another with our society. During the past 10 years or so we have seen many failures and that is the starting point of the book. But what is the solution? I still don’t know. To be honest about it, I really didn’t expect one book to have all the answers but this is a good start in identifying some of the problems and suggesting some possible solutions or at least some improvements.
Continue reading “Twilight of the Elites: America after Meritocracy by Christopher Hayes”